By Amaechi Agbo
Nigeria’s Super Eagles could miss two consecutive World Cup tournaments as the team’s hope of qualification for the 2026 edition dwindles.
This is after the Super Eagles lost to Benin 2-1 on Monday in their matchday 4 played in Ivory Coast. Benin’s adopted home is Ivory Coast after CAF ruled their stadiums are not good enough to host the qualifiers.
It was the first loss for the Super Eagles in the qualifiers and they languish 5th in Group C with three points from four matches.
Benin, led by former Super Eagles coach Gernot Rohr, shot to the top of the standings on seven points.
Raphael Onyedika put the Eagles in front after 28 minutes when he cleverly chipped the ball past goalkeeper Marcel Dandjinou from the edge of the box, after a good pass by Samuel Chukwueze.
However, the Cheetahs were back on level terms nine minutes later, when Jodel Dossou profited from a defensive error by Calvin Bassey and Semi Ajayi to race through and flick past an advancing goalkeeper Stanley Nwabali.
Seven minutes later, the Cheetahs were in front when the Nigerian defence ball-watched from a corner kick, exposing Nwabali once more.
Several changes made in the second half by Coach Finidi George failed to have any meaningful impact as the Eagles simply failed to find the back of the opponents’ net.
Defeat means the Eagles remain on three points from four matches, and are condemned to winning all their remaining six games of the qualification series to have any chance of reaching the finals in Canada, USA and Mexico in two years’ time.
Matchday 5 of the qualifiers will resume on March 17, 2025.
There are six more matches to play before the qualification series in concluded. Nigeria has drawn three matches prior to today’s defeat. They drew 1-1 against Lesotho, Zimbabwe and South Africa, scoring four goals and conceding five.
The Super Eagles missed out in the Qatar 2022 World Cup after Ghana picked the Play-off ticket in Abuja on March 29, 2022
