Fulham celebrate Nigerian heroes as Super Eagles reach World Cup Playoffs

The Super Eagles secured a crucial and emphatic 4–0 victory over the Benin Republic in Uyo, but the win was only enough to seal second place in Group C, forcing Nigeria into the high-stakes CAF World Cup playoffs.

The victory came courtesy of a brilliant hat-trick from star striker Victor Osimhen and a goal from midfielder Frank Onyeka.

Samuel Chukwueze was particularly impressive on the night, providing two key assists as Eric Chelle’s men ran up the score to drastically improve their goal difference.

The dominant performance earned high praise from Fulham, who celebrated the contributions of their Nigerian contingent on social media:

“Our three Naija boys started in a crucial World Cup qualifying victory, with Samu getting two assists.”

Unfortunately for Nigeria, South Africa secured a convincing 3-0 victory in their final fixture, giving them the edge to top Group C and secure the sole automatic World Cup slot.

What Next for Nigeria?

Eric Chelle’s men, having finished as one of the best four runners-up from the nine qualifying groups, now join nations like Gabon, Burkina Faso, and Cameroon in the final African mini-tournament.

This second-round playoff competition is scheduled to take place in Morocco between November 13 and 16, 2025.

The winner of this four-team tournament will not qualify directly for the 2026 World Cup but will instead advance to the FIFA Inter-confederation Play-off scheduled for March 2026, where they will compete for the final spot at the tournament.