Nigeria’s Super Eagles are still in the race to qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup following the latest update from the Confederation of African Football (CAF) on the continental play-offs.
In a circular signed by CAF’s Director of Competitions and Events, Samson Adamu, the body confirmed that the play-off — Africa’s potential 10th qualification spot — will be held in Morocco, with seeding determined by the October FIFA World Rankings.
The announcement comes ahead of Matchday 10, the decisive round of fixtures in the African qualifiers.
CAF stated that the play-off will feature four of the best second-placed teams from across the qualification groups, competing for a chance to represent Africa in the FIFA Intercontinental Play-Off.
According to the format, Team 1 will be the highest-ranked nation, Team 2 the second-highest, Team 3 the third, and Team 4 the lowest-ranked among the qualified sides.
This development offers renewed hope for Nigeria, who are currently in Group C, as they could still qualify for the play-offs if they finish at least second and rank among the continent’s best runners-up.
“It’s good news for the Super Eagles. They can still reach the World Cup through the playoff route if they maintain strong results in their remaining fixtures.” a CAF insider said.
The play-off is expected to be highly competitive, as several African football powerhouses, including Nigeria, Ghana, and South Africa, are battling for limited spots. The final qualification picture will become clearer after the last round of group-stage matches.
With CAF’s clarification, the Super Eagles’ path to the 2026 FIFA World Cup — co-hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico — remains open, but only just. The team must now rely on both strong performances and favourable ranking outcomes to keep their qualification dream alive.
