Current Situation in CAF Group C for Nigeria’s Super Eagles
Nigeria’s Super Eagles are competing in Group C of the CAF World Cup qualifiers alongside Benin, South Africa, Rwanda, Zimbabwe, and Lesotho. As of October 14, 2025 (before the final matchday), here are the standings after nine matches each:
– Benin🇧🇯: Played 9, Wins 5, Draws 2, Losses 2, Goals For/Against 12/8, Goal Diff +4, Points 17
South Africa🇿🇦: Played 9, Wins 4, Draws 3, Losses 2, Goals For/Against 11/7, Goal Diff +4, Points 15
Nigeria🇳🇬: Played 9, Wins 3, Draws 5, Losses 1, Goals For/Against 9/6, Goal Diff +3, Points 14
– Rwanda🇷🇼: Played 9, Wins 2, Draws 3, Losses 4, Goals For/Against 7/10, Goal Diff -3, Points 9
– Zimbabwe🇿🇼: Played 9, Wins 2, Draws 1, Losses 6, Goals For/Against 6/13, Goal Diff -7, Points 7
– Lesotho🇱🇸: Played 9, Wins 1, Draws 3, Losses 5, Goals For/Against 5/12, Goal Diff -7, Points 6
Key Note: Due to Eritrea’s withdrawal from another group (resulting in uneven group sizes), points earned against the last-placed team in groups with six teams are excluded when ranking the best second-placed teams across all groups. Here, assuming Lesotho ends up last-placed (with Zimbabwe’s points edge potentially adjusted by tiebreakers), Nigeria earned 2 points against Zimbabwe (from two draws), so their adjusted points for second-place rankings become 12 (14 – 2, but only if Zimbabwe is not last). South Africa’s 3 points against Zimbabwe are deducted, adjusting them to 12 (15 – 3).
Path to Finishing Second in Group C
To secure second place (behind the group winner) and a shot at the best runners-up spots, Nigeria must win their final match against Benin.
Here’s how the scenarios unfold:
Nigeria wins vs. Benin: Nigeria reaches 17 points, while Benin stays at 17.
South Africa wins vs. Rwanda: South Africa reaches 18 points and wins the group. Nigeria would finish second at 17 points, ahead of Benin on goal difference if they score more than 2 goals.
Implications of Finishing Second
Finishing second does not guarantee direct qualification, only the nine group winners advance automatically to the 2026 World Cup.
Next Steps: The four best second-placed teams (ranked by adjusted points, then goal difference) proceed to the CAF playoffs in November 2025. The playoff winner advances to the inter-confederation playoffs in March 2026 (against teams from AFC, CONCACAF, CONMEBOL, and OFC) for two additional World Cup spots.
Current Rankings of Second-Placed Teams (Adjusted Points, After 9/10 Matches; Finalized After October 14):
– Gabon: 16 points
– Burkina Faso: 15 points (fixtures complete)
– Niger: 15 points (fixtures complete)
– Cameroon: 14 points (one match left vs. Angola; max 17)
– DR Congo: 13 points (one match left vs. Sudan)
– Uganda: 12 points (one match left vs. Algeria)
– Nigeria: 12 points (adjusted; one match left) [+3 GD]
– 8-9. Others (e.g., Namibia, Kenya): 10 points or fewer
If Nigeria finishes second with 17 total points, their adjusted total would be 15 (17 – 2 vs. Zimbabwe), positioning them around 3rd or 4th in the runners-up rankings (ahead of Niger and Burkina Faso on points; potentially edging Cameroon if their max adjusted is similar, depending on goal difference improvements).
This would likely secure a spot in the CAF playoffs (top 4) with 1 country qualifying for the next stage, the inter-confederation stage.
To qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, Nigeria Super Eagles must finish in the top 2 in the six team playoffs final stage.
