The Super Eagles booked their place in the 2026 Fifa World Cup qualifiers playoffs after a commanding 4-0 victory over Gernot Rohr’s Benin in Uyo on Tuesday evening.
The result was enough to keep the three-time African champions’ World Cup dream alive, but the path to qualifying for the playoffs was far from straightforward.
The Super Eagles were minutes away from elimination until Brentford midfielder Frank Onyeka sealed the win with a stunning 90th minute volley, sparking wild celebrations at the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium.
Under the Confederation of African Football’s revised system for determining the best second-placed teams, introduced after Eritrea’s withdrawal from the qualifiers, Nigeria edged out Burkina Faso, finishing with 15 points and a goal difference of +7, just ahead of Les Etalons, who also had 15 points but a +6 goal difference.
Super Eagles insider Colin Udoh shed light on the tense moments leading up to the decisive goal, revealing how some players appeared unaware of the exact qualification requirements.
“The goal was very important, it did look, for some minutes, that the players were not aware they needed a fourth goal,” Udoh said on ESPN FC.
“I saw the goalkeeper (Nwabali) wasting time a little bit. I don’t know whether they knew or not, so I texted someone on the bench to tell the guys that we needed a fourth goal.
“We got the fourth goal, and in the end, that single strike was enough for the Super Eagles to edge Burkina Faso and move on to the playoffs.”
Udoh went on to reveal a key half-time intervention from Nigeria Football Federation President Ibrahim Gusau, who personally addressed the players in the dressing room to emphasise the task at hand.
“I didn’t believe they were going to make it. I was speaking to the NFF President after the game, and he said he was in the dressing room at half-time.
“He told Osimhen and the others that they needed to score four goals to make it through.”
The crucial advice and Onyeka’s late heroics ensured Nigeria’s campaign stayed alive, setting up a playoff clash against Gabon in Morocco this November, subject to confirmation of the Fifa rankings on October 23.
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