Nigeria’s World Cup qualifying hopes have been dealt a significant blow following a 2-1 defeat to Benin Republic on Monday. This loss leaves the Super Eagles with only three points from four fixtures, placing them four points off the top spot in Group C of the 2026 World Cup qualifying series in the African zone.
Their situation worsened on Tuesday as South Africa triumphed 3-1 over Zimbabwe, and Rwanda secured a 1-0 victory against Lesotho. These outcomes mean Rwanda, South Africa, and Benin are now joint leaders of the group, each with seven points.
Lesotho sits in fourth place with five points, while Nigeria is in fifth with just three points, making their path to qualification increasingly challenging.
