A Victor Osimhen hat-trick and a sensational pile-driver by substitute Frank Onyeka that ensured a 4-0 win over Benin Republic in Uyo on Tuesday evening was enough to send Nigeria to the Four-Team CAF Playoff Tournament for the 2026 FIFA World Cup finals.
The three-time African champions knew before kickoff that they would qualify automatically from Group C if they defeated Benin Republic by any margin and South Africa failed to defeat Rwanda in Nelspruit. However, Bafana Bafana raced to a 2-0 lead over the Amavubi at Mbombela, and not to be outdone, the Super Eagles also went into recess with two unreplied goals up on the Cheetahs at the Godswill Akpabio Stadium.
Victor Osimhen wasted no time registering his name on the scoresheet, as he latched onto a brilliant pass by Samuel Chukwueze to put Nigeria ahead in the second minute, sending goalkeeper Marcel Dandjinou the wrong way.
Stanley Nwabali saved brilliantly from Steve Mounié as the Cheetahs broke forward in the 12th minute, but Nigeria kept probing and the relentless Osimhen saw his header go a little too high in the 21st minute.
Table-toppers Benin Republic broke forward again in the 28th minute but Nwabali punched Tosin Aiyegun’s effort from close range.
Osimhen, unstoppable, rose above everyone to nod home Nigeria’s second in the 36th minute, from a cross by Chukwueze.
Nigeria, dogged and determined coming into the second half, and knowing that their only route would be the playoff as South Africa continued to pummel Rwanda in Nelspruit, did not put their feet off the pedal.
Osimhen was on hand again to score the third goal, as the ball rocked the crossbar from Simon Moses’ free-kick from the right.
It was Osimhen’s 29th goal in 44 matches for Nigeria – a remarkable tally that means he will overtake ‘Goalsfather’ Rashidi Yekini (of blessed memory) at the pinnacle of Nigeria’s goals’ haul with nine more strikes.
As Nigeria continued to pour forward, Simon Moses, earning his 85th cap, saw his snapshot pushed to corner by Dandjinou in the 53rd minute, and in the 75th minute, Osimhen’s wonderful chested-pass freed Alex Iwobi for a shot, which was charged down by David Kiki.
Two minutes later, Osimhen headed powerfully from a Moses’ cross but the ball was punched away.
With 90 minutes on the clock, substitute Frank Onyeka rifled home a cross by Moses to give Nigeria a 4-0 win and passage to the continental playoff, which will take place in Morocco, 13th – 16th November.
Gabon and Cameroon are the two countries ahead of Nigeria presently in the new table for second-placed teams across the nine groups, going CAF’s new method of calculating the second-placed teams following the withdrawal of Eritrea from the race. Nigeria bagged 15 points with a goals’ difference of plus seven, as against Burkina Faso’s 15 points and goals’ difference of plus six.
Only the group winners are automatically through to the finals in North America next summer.
Either Burkina Faso or the Democratic Republic of Congo (playing at home to Sudan on Tuesday night) will join the trio for the battles of Morocco next month.
The winner in Morocco will proceed to the Six-Team Intercontinental Playoff, scheduled for the Mexican cities of Guadalaja and Monterrey in March next year, where two teams will emerge and qualify for the finals in USA, Canada and Mexico.
The winner from the African playoff will be joined by Bolivia, New Caledonia and two teams from Central America, and one from Asia.
