Nigeria’s hopes of qualifying for the 2026 FIFA World Cup have taken another hit after South Africa and Benin Republic picked up crucial victories on Friday, leaving the Super Eagles under increasing pressure in Group C.

The Eagles will host Rwanda on Saturday at the Victor Attah International Stadium, Uyo, in what is now a must-win clash. Despite the opportunity to bounce back, Nigeria’s qualification path has been complicated by their rivals’ latest results.

Earlier in the day, Bafana Bafana swept aside Lesotho with a commanding 3-0 win to climb to 16 points, while Benin Republic edged Zimbabwe 1-0 in Abidjan, moving up to 11 points.

By contrast, the Super Eagles remain on just seven points. Even with victory over Rwanda, Nigeria would still sit in third place, behind South Africa and Benin.

The situation makes next week’s away showdown against South Africa pivotal. With limited games left in the qualifiers, Tuesday’s fixture could ultimately decide whether Nigeria makes it to the World Cup in North America.

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