2026 World Cup qualifiers: Super Eagles to face South Africa

Nigeria's Super Eagles set to compete with South Africa, Benin, Rwanda, Lesotho, and Zimbabwe in the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers.

The 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers' draw held in Abidjan, Cote d'Ivoire, has placed Nigeria's Super Eagles in Group C, pitting them against South Africa, Benin Republic, Rwanda, Lesotho, and Zimbabwe.

The Super Eagles missed their chance to compete in the previous World Cup in Qatar, having lost to Ghana's Black Stars in the playoffs.

The upcoming qualifiers present an opportunity for redemption and a shot at advancing to the grand stage, co-hosted by the United States, Mexico, and Canada.

The draw also sets the stage for an intriguing encounter with Benin Republic, marking the Super Eagles' first meeting with their former manager, Gernot Rohr, since his departure in 2021.

The Super Eagles will automatically qualify for the 2026 World Cup if they secure the top position in their group at the conclusion of the group matches.

However, the journey to the World Cup isn't over for the four best runners-up from the groups.

They will have a chance to advance via the CAF Play-Off Tournament, with the victor proceeding to the FIFA Play-Off Tournament.

Excerpts from the FIFA website: 

The FIFA play-off tournament will feature one team from each of FIFA's six confederations, except UEFA, plus one additional team from the host confederation (Concacaf).

Two of the six teams will be seeded based on the FIFA/Coca-Cola World Ranking. 

The seeded teams will play for a FIFA World Cup berth against the winners of the first two knockout games involving the four unseeded teams.

While the first round of games is scheduled for November 13–21, the date of the Super Eagles' opening match is yet to be determined.

The @CAF_online draw results are here! 🔥

🤩 Africa is on the road to #WeAre26!

— FIFA World Cup (@FIFAWorldCup) July 13, 2023

Full draw

Group A: Egypt, Burkina Faso, Guinea-Bissau, Sierra Leone, Ethiopia, Djibouti

Group B: Senegal, Congo DR, Mauritania, Togo, Sudan, South Sudan

Group C: Nigeria, South Africa, Benin, Zimbabwe, Rwanda, Lesotho

Group D: Cameroon, Cabo Verde, Angola, Libya, Eswatini, Mauritius

Group E: Morocco, Zambia, Congo, Tanzania, Niger, Eritrea

Group F: Côte d’Ivoire, Gabon, Kenya, The Gambia, Burundi, Seychelles

Group G: Algeria, Guinea, Uganda, Mozambique, Botswana, Somalia

Group H: Tunisia, Equatorial Guinea, Namibia, Malawi, Liberia, São Tomé and Príncipe

Group I: Mali, Ghana, Madagascar, Central African Republic, Comoros, Chad