The Super Eagles dropped from third to fourth in Group C of the 2026 World Cup qualifiers without kicking a ball after Benin Republic’s 1-0 win over Rwanda in their third game of the group on Thursday.
Led by former Super Eagles coach Genort Rohr, Benin leapfrogged Nigeria and South Africa and moved to second place in the group with four points (same as leaders Rwanda) after a first half goal by Dodo Dokou secured their win at the Stade Félix Houphouët-Boigny, their adopted home ground in Ivory Coast.
Rwanda’s failure to get something out of the game is, however, a blessing in disguise for the Eagles, who must beat South Africa in Uyo on Friday (today) to take full advantage of the result.
A win for Nigeria against Bafana Bafana will take them to the top of the table with five points, one point ahead of Rwanda, who have been at the top with four points since beating South Africa in their second game of the series.
After facing Bafana today, the Eagles have another tricky test against the Squirrels in Ivory Coast on Monday while South Africa will play Zimbabwe.
Abiodun Adewale
Abiodun, who reports Sports for PUNCH, covers different tiers of the Nigerian football league, the national teams, as well as cricket, in the last six years
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