Captain William Troost-Ekong has expressed optimism as the Super Eagles prepare for the CAF Play-Off Tournament for the 2026 FIFA World Cup in Morocco next month.
The team is buoyed by their 4-0 victory over Benin Republic that secured their place in the playoffs. Ekong acknowledged the challenge ahead and reiterated the team’s determination to seize the opportunity, despite missing out on automatic qualification.
“We are quite happy to have this opportunity. It is a long journey, but it is a journey nonetheless. We would have preferred to secure an automatic ticket, but that did not happen, and we will make the most of what we have. For us, we will remain strong, resilient, and ready to confront every challenge on our path as we seek qualification for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
“It was a fantastic team effort on Tuesday evening. Everyone contributed; each player played their part. If the other match had gone our way, we would have secured the automatic ticket. But that’s life. You take what you get and run with it, making the best of the situation.”
Nigeria achieved their best result of the campaign during a memorable night in the Akwa Ibom State capital, with Victor Osimhen scoring a hat-trick and midfielder Frank Onyeka, who came on as a substitute, adding another goal in the 90th minute to propel the three-time African champions into the CAF Play-Off Tournament.
Despite their strong performance, the Super Eagles could have claimed the automatic ticket from Group C. Unfortunately, Rwanda’s Amavubi faltered at a crucial moment, succumbing to South Africa’s Bafana Bafana in Nelspruit. This mirrored the events of November 2005 when all the Amavubi needed was to hold Angola to a draw on the final matchday in Kigali. Instead, they conceded a late goal, rendering Nigeria’s five-goal rout of Zimbabwe in Abuja meaningless and sending Angola to their first FIFA World Cup finals.
In the CAF Play-offs, Nigeria will face Gabon’s Palancas Negras in the ‘first semi-final’ on Thursday, 13th November, while Cameroon will take on the Democratic Republic of Congo in the ‘second semi-final’ on Friday, 14th November. The two winners will clash in the ‘final’ on Sunday, 16th November, with the victor advancing to the Intercontinental play-offs in Mexico’s Guadalajara and Monterrey in March.
The International Play-off Tournament will see six teams compete for two places: Africa’s winner, Bolivia, New Caledonia, the winner of the Asian play-off between Iraq and the United Arab Emirates, and two of Jamaica, Costa Rica, and Panama.
