3 weeks ago
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Today is the D’day. The time of reckoning for the Super Eagles. The time the federation is expected to commune for the players arsenic they effort to bash the adjacent intolerable successful securing qualification for the 2026 World Cup, which volition beryllium hosted by 3 countries – America, Mexico, and Canada.
It is simply a time that volition beryllium filled with mathematics, momentum and madness arsenic good arsenic a time of drama, with unpredictability and heartbreak.
The Godswill Akpabio Stadium successful Uyo volition travel live arsenic the Super Eagles big the Cheetahs of Benin Republic successful their last Group C clash of the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers.
With their qualification hopes hanging connected a thread, the Super Eagles indispensable triumph and trust connected results elsewhere to support their World Cup imagination alive.
Nigeria’s 2026 World Cup qualifying run has been a frustrating one, marked by missed opportunities and costly draws that person near them needing a occurrence connected the last day.
After failing to suffice for the 2022 World Cup successful Qatar, losing that summons to arch-rivals, Ghana, a fewer would person imagined the Super Eagles facing the anticipation of missing retired connected back-to-back tournaments.
Since making their World Cup debut successful 1994, Nigeria person ne'er failed to suffice for consecutive editions.
Heading into the past circular of Group C fixtures, Eric Chelle’s broadside beryllium 3rd with 14 points from 9 games, having won three, drawn 5 and mislaid one.
They person scored 11 goals and conceded 8 successful what has been an inconsistent campaign.
Nigeria trails radical leaders, Benin, by 3 points and second-placed South Africa by one.
Nigeria remains 3rd successful the radical with 14 points and a +3 extremity difference. The remaining trio of Rwanda, Lesotho and Zimbabwe are mathematically retired of the contest.
Regardless of Nigeria’s effect successful the last crippled against Benin, the Super Eagles request South Africa to either suffer oregon gully astatine location against Rwanda to get an automatic ticket.
Should South Africa neglect to bushed Rwanda, past Nigeria needs the pursuing scenarios to unafraid an automatic summons for the 2026 World Cup:
*If Nigeria defeats Benin 1-0, the Super Eagles volition decorativeness apical of the radical connected distant goals. Nigeria scored successful the 2-1 distant decision to the Cheetahs successful their archetypal encounter.
*If Nigeria defeats Benin 2-1, some teams volition person identical records, and a tie-breaker, specified arsenic yellowish cards oregon reddish cards, volition beryllium needed to find the radical winners.
*If Nigeria defeats Benin 2-0, the Eagles volition decorativeness apical of the radical with a superior extremity difference. The champion effect volition beryllium a convincing two-goal borderline triumph for Nigeria.
However, if Nigeria concedes much than 1 extremity against Benin but inactive wins, Beninese volition suffice connected distant goals. Therefore, a 3-2, 4-3, oregon 5-4 triumph volition not unafraid Nigeria automatic ticket.
Chelle’s men caput into this fixture buoyed by a 2-1 triumph implicit Lesotho connected Friday, acknowledgment to goals from Captain William Troost-Ekong and debutant, Akor Adams.
But their destiny is present retired of their hands – a concern wholly of their making aft a run riddled with precocious collapses and unforced errors.
Benin, connected the different hand, are connected the brink of history. The Gernot Rohr’s broadside leads Group C with 17 points from 9 games, having won five, drawn 2 and mislaid two.
They person scored 12 goals and conceded seven, with a resilient defence proving important to their rise.
The Cheetahs defeated Rwanda 1-0 past clip retired courtesy of substitute, Tosin Aiyegun’s goal, a effect that propelled them to the apical of the table.
Under Rohr, who managed Nigeria from 2016 to 2021, Benin has go 1 of the astonishment packages of the qualifiers, defying expectations and taking vantage of South Africa’s earlier authorisation for fielding an ineligible player.
Rohr besides masterminded Benin’s 2-1 triumph implicit Nigeria successful June 2024 – the Super Eagles’ lone decision of the run and their...
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