Nigeria's World Cup Hopes Dwindling, Says Former Super Eagles Star Ahead of Benin Match
- Brown Ideye says Nigeria’s World Cup hopes are “not in their hands” despite South Africa’s FIFA sanction
- Eric Chelle recently named a 23-man squad, including Osimhen and Lookman, for October’s World Cup qualifiers
- Nigeria must win both remaining qualifiers against Lesotho and Benin Republic to keep hopes of playing in the mundial alive
Former Super Eagles striker Brown Ideye has cast doubt over Nigeria’s chances of reaching the 2026 FIFA World Cup, insisting that even with South Africa’s points deduction, qualification is no longer in the team’s hands.
The World Cup qualifying race took a dramatic turn when FIFA docked South Africa three points for fielding Teboho Mokoena in a match against Lesotho despite suspension.
Source: Getty Images
According to Complete Sports, the ruling nullified their 2-0 victory and instead awarded Lesotho a 3-0 win, dropping Bafana Bafana to second in Group C while pushing Benin into top spot on goal difference.
Nigeria, which sits third with 11 points, now requires back-to-back victories against Lesotho and Benin to keep their World Cup hopes alive.
Despite this twist, 2013 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) winner Ideye was far from optimistic.
Writing on his official X handle, Ideye questioned how the Super Eagles allowed themselves to be in such a precarious position.
“Not in our hands anymore, just win these two games and pray South Africa drop points, which I don’t see them doing. How did we get here? Question I ask myself sometimes,” Ideye lamented.
Eric Chelle names squad for decisive games
Meanwhile, Super Eagles coach Eric Chelle has released a strong 23-man list for the October qualifiers, which includes a blend of familiar names and fresh faces.
Source: Getty Images
Victor Osimhen headlines the attack alongside Ademola Lookman, Moses Simon, Samuel Chukwueze, and debutant Akor Adams of Sevilla.
In midfield, stalwarts like Alex Iwobi, Wilfred Ndidi, and Frank Onyeka provide balance and experience.
Defensively, William Troost-Ekong, Semi Ajayi, Calvin Bassey, and Felix Agu return to marshal the backline, while Stanley Nwabali retains his spot as Nigeria’s first-choice goalkeeper.
Nigeria will first face Lesotho in Polokwane on October 10 before a decisive showdown with Benin Republic in Uyo four days later.
Group C battle heats up
After eight rounds of matches, the Group C table remains finely poised as any of the top three teams could still pick the World Cup ticket.
Benin and South Africa are tied on 14 points, with Nigeria and Rwanda closely behind on 11, as seen on FIFA.com.
Lesotho’s FIFA-awarded victory lifts them to nine points, while Zimbabwe remains bottom with four. For Nigeria, the mission is clear as they must win both remaining games to finish on 17 points.
That could be enough for the Super Eagles to secure an automatic qualification if Benin or South Africa drop points in their final two games.
Should they fall short, Chelle’s men will be forced to rely on Africa’s best runners-up slots, where goal difference is likely to be the deciding factor.
FIFA hands Nigeria confidence boost
In a related development, Legit.ng reported that FIFA has confirmed the appointment of Egyptian referee Amin Mohamed Omar for Nigeria’s decisive 2026 World Cup qualifier against the Benin Republic.
The appointment of Omar comes as a good omen in the World Cup race, as the Egyptian has already officiated a Nigeria-Benin meeting during the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers in September 2024, where the Super Eagles defeated the Cheetahs 3-0.
Proofreading by Omoleye Omoruyi, copy editor at Legit.ng.
Source: Legit.ng
