Nigeria’s are finally in the win column after a dreadful start to qualifying for the 2026 World Cup.
The Africa Cup of Nations runners-up were winless in their first four matches in CAF Group C, with a 2-1 loss to Benin following three consecutive draws.
But new head coach Eric Chelle oversaw a morale-boosting 2-0 win in Rwanda, where Victor Osimhen bagged a to seal the Super Eagles’ first World Cup qualification win since November 2021.
The Sporting News takes a look at what Nigeria have to do to salvage their efforts to reach the 2026 World Cup and their upcoming fixtures.
MORE: What’s happened to Victor Osimhen?
Can Nigeria still qualify for World Cup 2026?
Yes, Nigeria can still reach the finals to be staged across the United States, Canada and Mexico. But there is still plenty of work to do and they now need to string some wins together.
The Super Eagles lie fourth in the six-team Group C on six points, four points behind leaders South Africa. Bafana Bafana replaced Rwanda at the top of the standings with a 2-0 win over Lesotho.
Nigeria have five games remaining, with teams playing one another home and away during the group phase.
The winners of CAF’s nine groups qualify automatically for the World Cup, with the four best runners-up entering the playoff route.
MORE: What did Atalanta pay for Ademola Lookman?
When is next Nigeria match?
Nigeria’s next match is a home World Cup qualifier against Zimbabwe on Tuesday, March 25. Zimbabwe are bottom of Group C on three points.
Super Eagles schedule
| Date | Competition | Match |
| September 7 | AFCON Qualifying | Nigeria 3-0 Benin |
| September 10 | AFCON Qualifying | Rwanda 0-0 Nigeria |
| October 6 | AFCON Qualifying | Nigeria 1-0 Libya |
| October 14 | AFCON Qualifying | Libya 0-3 Nigeria* |
| November 10 | AFCON Qualifying | Benin 1-1 Nigeria |
| November 18 | AFCON Qualifying | Nigeria 1-2 Rwanda |
| March 17 | World Cup Qualifying | Rwanda 0-2 Nigeria |
| March 24 | World Cup Qualifying | Nigeria vs. Zimbabwe |
| September 1 | World Cup Qualifying | Nigeria vs. Rwanda |
| September 8 | World Cup Qualifying | South Africa vs. Nigeria |
| October 6 | World Cup Qualifying | Lesotho vs. Nigeria |
| October 13 | World Cup Qualifying | Nigeria vs. Benin |
*Result forfeited in Nigeria’s favour as part of disciplinary action against Libya
How many African teams will qualify for 2026 World Cup?
Nine African teams are guaranteed a spot at the 2026 World Cup, with the possibility of a 10th taking part.
After the nine group winners from CAF qualification progress automatically, the four best runners-up will contest a playoff to decide which team advances to the inter-confederation eliminator round.
One representative from each confederation, except for UEFA and with two from CONCACAF as the host federation, will contest the six-team playoff.
The two highest-ranked teams according to FIFA’s world rankings will be seeded for the playoff, which will decide the final two qualifiers for the World Cup.
The seeded teams will face the winners of two semifinals featuring the four unseeded teams for a place at the tournament.
