Who: Nigeria vs Benin
Content: CAF 2026 FIFA World Cup Qualifiers
Location: Godswill Akpabio International Stadium, Uyo, Nigeria
Date and time: Tuesday 6pm (16:00 GMT)
How to follow: Get everything ready on Al Jazeera Sports from 13:00 GMT ahead of the live text commentary stream.
Recommended stories
list of 4 itemsend of list
Nigeria will host Benin in the final round of the 2026 FIFA World Cup Confederation of African Football (CAF) First League as they aim to take the top spot in Group C and qualify for next year’s tournament.
The challenges for the Super Eagles are significant. With Benin leading by three points and two on goal difference, this is a must-win match for the Nigerians if they are to have any chance of winning their group or qualifying as second with a chance of qualifying for November’s inter-confederation play-offs for a 10th Africa World Cup spot.
For Benin, the math is easy. A win or a draw against the three-time African champions will see the Cheetahs make history and qualify for the World Cup finals for the first time. Even if they lose to Nigeria, and even if Group C’s other contenders, South Africa, draw or lose in their final match, teams from the West African nation could still qualify directly.
Here’s what you need to know ahead of the much-awaited Nigeria vs. Benin finale showdown.
Where do Nigeria and Benin currently stand in Group C?
Late last month, Benin were level with then-Group C leaders South Africa after receiving a three-point penalty from FIFA for using extra players in their previous match, but on Friday a very disappointing 0-0 draw against bottom-placed Zimbabwe in matchday nine saw Banfa take the lead at the top of the standings.
Benin and Nigeria won matchday nine on Friday, defeating Rwanda (1-0) and Lesotho (2-1) respectively.
A win for Benin against Uyo would guarantee their first World Cup appearance, but a fall short could mean they could be overtaken by one of their two rivals in the group.
Tuesday’s Matchday 10 match is the final group match and will be played at the same time.
Benin: 17 points (+5 GD) South Africa: 15 points (+3 GD) Nigeria: 14 points (+3 GD) Rwanda: 11 points (-1 GD) Lesotho: 9 points (-4 GD) Zimbabwe: 5 points (-6 GD)
Why was the Nigerian team’s plane forced to make an emergency landing?
A plane carrying the Nigeria national team from South Africa to Uyo for the final World Cup qualifiers was forced to make an emergency landing in Angola on Saturday, media representatives from each country announced.
The plane took off from Polokwane, South Africa, and headed for southern Nigeria after a scheduled refueling stop in Luanda, the capital of Angola.
However, 25 minutes into the flight, the pilot was forced to return to Luanda “due to a large crack in the aircraft’s windshield, distorting what was initially a smooth flight,” a Super Eagles representative said.
Why were South Africa stripped of World Cup qualifying points in Group C?
Last month, South Africa were stripped of three points for using an ineligible player in a World Cup qualifier, ending their hopes of reaching next year’s finals and handing the World Cup lifeline to Benin and Nigeria, the other Group C contenders.
FIFA has announced that its disciplinary committee has found midfielder Teboho Mokoena guilty of playing in South Africa’s 2-0 home win against Lesotho in March, when he should have missed qualifying after receiving two cautions in a previous group match.
Lesotho won the match 3-0 and South Africa were deprived of a point.
At the time of the announcement on September 29, South Africa were in the lead with 14 points, but with two games remaining, the difference in points between them and Benin was narrow. In the penultimate group stage game, South Africa drew and Benin won, leaving Benin (17th) leading Bafana Bafana (15th) by two points with one game remaining.
When was the last time they both met?
On June 10, 2024, Benin defeated Nigeria 2-1 in a FIFA World Cup match at the Stade Félix Houphouët-Boigny in Abidjan, Ivory Coast.
Raphael Onidika’s goal in the 27th minute put Nigeria ahead, but two Benin goals from Jodel Dossou and Steve Mooney’s winning goal before half-time were enough for the Cheetahs to secure the three points.
How many African teams will qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup?
The Africa World Cup qualifiers will be divided into 9 groups of 6 countries each.
The nine Confederation of African Football (CAF) group winners will secure direct qualification to the 2026 World Cup, with the top four second-place teams participating in an intercontinental play-off with a chance of securing a 10th place spot in the tournament.
Five of Africa’s nine groups have already qualified for next year’s North American World Cup finals: Algeria, Egypt, Ghana, Morocco and Tunisia. The remaining four will be decided on Tuesday.
CAF World Cup 2026 Qualifying Schedule:
First round (November 15, 2023 to October 14, 2025): 54 teams will participate in the group stage. Round 2 (10-18 November 2025): The top four second-place finishers in the group will play in a semi-final-final format. The winners will compete in an inter-confederation play-off for a spot in the 10th African World Cup.
Will Nigeria’s Victor Osimhen play against Benin?
Nigeria have recalled star forward Victor Osimhen, who was injured in Friday’s FIFA World Cup qualifier against Lesotho, and will be on the pitch against Benin on Tuesday.
Osimhen, who plays for Turkish giants Galatasaray, said Nigeria will enter the match as underdogs in a must-win match.
“We will be at a disadvantage against Benin, and Benin are favorites to win the title. They have played poorly by our standards, so it doesn’t add up,” he said.
“I can’t promise too much to the fans, but we’ll fight. This group keeps giving. It won’t stop. If we do our part as players, I hope it’s our turn to be on top on Tuesday. I don’t want to talk too much about other things, but I’m not happy with the way we represented our country.”
Team News: Nigeria
In a major blow to coach Eric Cele, 2024 African Ballon d’Or winner Ademola Lookman will not be able to play in the game against Benin due to suspension.
Lookman, who plays for Italian club Atalanta Bergamo, was suspended for the second time in two games for Friday’s 2-0 win over Lesotho, with the talented forward handed a one-match ban.
Key defender Ola Aina will miss the second consecutive match against the Super Eagles as he recovers from an injury sustained against South Africa on September 9.
Cele will likely field his team in a 4-2-3-1 formation with Osimhen as the only striker.
Team news: Benin
Coach Gernot Rohr plans to select a full squad for the match against Nigeria.
Coach Rohr regularly deploys a 4-2-3-1 formation with Meunier at the top. Andreas Hountonji and Dossou will play key attacking roles directly behind Muni.
The backline of Tamimou Ourou, Olivier Verdon, Johan Roche and Mohamed Tijani remains unchanged from Friday’s last game (a narrow 1-0 win over Rwanda in Kigali), with Marcel d’Anzinou once again the starting goalkeeper.
How many FIFA World Cup finals has Nigeria reached?
Nigeria has reached the finals of the FIFA World Cup six times, but failed to qualify for the most recent tournament, which will be held in Qatar in 2022.
Starting lineup candidate
Nigeria: Nwabari (goalkeeper). Troost Ekong, Fredrik, Bassey, Onyemaechi. Ndidi, Iwobi. Chukwueze, Simon. Osimhen, Aroko Dale
Benin: Danzinou (goalkeeper). Urou, Verdon, Tijani, Roche. Dalmeida, Imolane. Dossou, dokou, hountonji. moony
direct confrontation
Nigeria and Benin have met 12 times in all competitions since 2004.
Nigeria has won nine times and Benin twice.
Both teams ended up with one draw.
past 5 games
Nigeria
LWWDW (all competitions, latest results on the right)
Benin
LLWWW
What the coaches had to say
Eric Cele, head coach of Nigeria national team:
“It’s unfortunate that (Ademola Lookman) has been suspended, but the team has the strength and character to win,” he said.
Gernot Rohr, Benin head coach:
“Yes, it will be a great final in Uyo and (a historic first World Cup finals appearance) is in our hands. It is unimaginable when you see Nigeria and South Africa behind us,” he said.
“But everything can change in one game, the last game. So we are very humble and know that we have to try again. It will be harder in Nigeria than in Rwanda. Of course we know that.”
