FIFA President Acknowledges Osimhen's Heroics, Sends Message to African Teams
- Gianni Infantino has sent a message to all 9 African teams that have qualified for the 2026 FIFA World Cup
- The FIFA boss shared photos of several players representing the teams, and added that of Nigerian striker Victor Osimhen
- The Super Eagles are yet to confirm their place at the Mundial as they head to the play-offs starting in November
FIFA president Gianni Infantino seems to have acknowledged Victor Osimhen's heroics in the World Cup qualifiers, especially for his performance against Benin.
The Super Eagles striker was incredible against the Cheetahs, netting a hat-trick, including two headers as Nigeria won 4-0.
The victory ensured that Nigeria finished as runners-up in CAF qualification Group C, and was enough to see them grab a spot in the play-offs.
Source: Getty Images
CAF has confirmed that the playoff will take place in Morocco in November 2025, using a ruthless knockout format - two semi-finals and a final.
Nigeria will take on Gabon, while Cameroon will face off with DR Congo, and the winners of each semifinal will meet in the final.
The winner advances to the intercontinental playoff, which is the last hurdle separating Africa’s tenth representative from the 2026 World Cup.
However, FIFA president Gianni Infantino, while congratulating African teams that have picked a ticket to the Mundial, shared Victor Osimhen's picture as well.
Infantino wrote on Instagram:
"Ghana, Cabo Verde, South Africa, Senegal and Côte d’Ivoire realised their FIFA World Cup dream by securing qualification to next year’s tournament in Canada, Mexico, and the 🇺🇸 United States.
"A big thank you to all the African teams and congratulations once again to 🇲🇦 Morocco, Tunisia, Egypt and Algeria, all of whom will play in the biggest-ever @fifaworldcup 2026."
Aubameyang fires warning to Nigeria
Meanwhile, Gabonese striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has sent a message to the Nigerian national team ahead of their 2026 FIFA World Cup playoff match.
The Panthers and the Super Eagles will trade tackles after finishing as runners-up behind the Ivory Coast and South Africa in Group F and C, respectively.
In another fixture, the Indomitable Lions of Cameroon are pitched against the Antelopes of the Democratic Republic of Congo.
The semi-final matches will be played in Morocco on November 13, and the winners of the two matches will clash on November 16 for a chance to play in the intercontinental playoff, per beIN Sports.
The fixtures were decided based on FIFA rankings: Nigeria is ranked 44th place and will face Gabon in 79th place. Cameroon, in 52nd place, will face Congo DR in 60th place.
Source: Getty Images
Disappointment for Burkina Faso
Legit.ng earlier reported that Burkina Faso defender Steeve Yago expressed utter disappointment after the Super Eagles of Nigeria managed to secure a spot in the continental playoffs for the 2026 World Cup, edging out his country.
In a viral post on X, the Aris Limassol star said he would study the modalities used by CAF to select the three-time AFCON winners before criticising them.
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Source: Legit.ng
