Super Eagles Face Benin in Do-or-Die Qualifier

Super Eagles play Benin in a must-win match during World Cup qualifying.

Super Eagles face must-win match against Benin in World Cup qualifying. After drawing with South Africa, Nigeria's hopes of reaching the 2026 FIFA World Cup hang in the balance. Can they secure a crucial victory against their neighboring rivals and get their qualification back on track?

The Super Eagles, ranked fifth, will take on the Cheetahs of Benin Republic, their neighbor and longtime rivals, on Monday at Stade Felix Houphouet-Boigny in Cote d'Ivoire during the fourth round of Group C of the 2026 FIFA World Cup African Qualifiers.

The pivotal match will take place three days after the Finidi George-led team was unable to defeat the South African Bafana Bafana at home in Uyo, the capital of Akwa Ibom State.

The Super Eagles' fate of participating in the 2026 FIFA World Cup, hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico, now hinges on their performance in Monday's crucial match, making it a high-stakes encounter.

The Eagles' final group-stage matchup is against former handler Gernot Rohr, who led his small Benin team to a 1-0 victory against Rwanda on Thursday.

Following their win over Rwanda, Benin jumped up to third place in the group, four points clear of South Africa and Nigeria in fourth and fifth place, respectively.

Finidi George and his team are running out of time, so they cannot afford any more mistakes. They need to win their next several games, starting tonight against Benin, in order to qualify.

Coach Finidi George voiced his dissatisfaction with the draw against South Africa's Bafana Bafana prior to the game, but he was optimistic that the Super Eagles would recover and get their qualification back on track.

“I am not shaken, I am relaxed, we know what is at stake, we know we have to qualify (for the World Cup), but that does not mean we have to run helter-skelter because of the draw,” the 53-year-old said.

“We dropped points and that should not break us, a positive result will change the narrative. It is not the best result we wanted, we have to get our heads up and work for the next game (Benin)”

Nigeria's aspirations of winning the World Cup would be greatly enhanced and rejuvenated if they were to defeat Benin Republic.

Nigeria has defeated Benin Republic 13 times out of 16 head-to-head meetings, with 2 draws and 1 loss.

The Super Eagles have been tasked with moving past their 1-1 draw with their South African counterparts in Uyo on Friday and aiming for victory against Benin Republic in Cote d'Ivoire, according to Hon. Mohammed Buba Jajere, Deputy Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Sports.

Notwithstanding the Eagles' dismal start to the qualifiers, the congressman for Yobe State's Fika/Fune Federal Constituency stated that it is too soon for Nigerians to entertain worries of another World Cup disaster.

“So, even as they have dropped six valuable points, they can still recover the lost ground in the remaining matches.

“But to keep hope alive, they must win against the Benin Republic tomorrow (Monday). With their former coach Gernot Rohr leading the Cheetahs, it will be a very difficult match, so the Super Eagles must bring their A game into the contest.

“Like I said, it is not going to be a stroll in the park but with the right approach and attitude, the Super Eagles can win their first match in the qualification series,” said Jajere.

Thus, the lawmaker urged all Nigerians to support the Super Eagles in their endeavor to earn a spot in the upcoming World Cup.

The Super Eagles have only missed out on qualifying for two World Cups—2006 in Germany and 2022 in Qatar—since their debut at USA 94.