2026 World Cup: Super Eagles Told the Secret to Securing Qualification Through Playoffs
- Former Super Eagles goalkeeper coach Alloy Agu is confident in Nigeria’s World Cup qualification chances
- The three-time African champions missed out on automatic qualification after finishing second in Group C
- Nigeria will seek to qualify for the World Cup via the playoffs and will take on Gabon next
Former Super Eagles goalkeeper coach, Alloy Agu, has expressed confidence that Nigeria will book a place at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
The ex-international, who was part of Nigeria’s technical crew in past tournaments, believes Nigeria’s strong finish to the qualifiers shows they are back to their best.
Source: UGC
The Super Eagles clinched a playoff spot after a hard-fought 2-1 victory over Lesotho and a convincing 4-0 win against Benin Republic in Uyo, Al Jazeera reports.
These results saw the three-time African champions qualify as one of Africa’s best runners-up, keeping their World Cup dream alive.
“Even in the last two games, they showed the calibre of what everyone believes they can do,” Agu told Pulse Sports.
“With what they showed everyone in those matches, there is hope for Nigerians that the Super Eagles are going to do us proud. If they continue with this trend, I think there is hope.”
Chelle hailed for turning Nigeria’s fortunes around
Agu was full of praise for head coach Eric Chelle, whose short time in charge has already begun to transform the Super Eagles’ mentality and performance.
The former Mali coach has been credited with instilling tactical discipline and reviving the attacking flair of the Nigerian team.
According to Agu, the Super Eagles players appear to have rediscovered their confidence after a shaky start to the qualifying campaign.
He further encouraged the players to keep up their focus as they prepare for the decisive playoff stage in November.
“This is the time for total concentration. Every player must understand what is at stake, a place at the World Cup is not just another match, it’s national pride,” he said.
For Alloy Agu, belief and unity remain Nigeria’s strongest weapons.
“The team has the quality. Now, they must have the mentality. If they keep their heads down and play with discipline, Nigeria will be at the 2026 World Cup,” he concluded.
Nigeria’s playoff path to the 2026 World Cup
Nigeria’s next challenge comes in the form of Gabon, whom the Super Eagles will face in the semi-finals of the CAF playoffs in Morocco.
Source: Getty Images
Nigeria, currently ranked 41st in the world by FIFA, enters the playoffs as the highest-seeded country and clear favourites to progress.
Should they defeat Gabon, a potential final clash awaits against either Cameroon or DR Congo, a match that will determine Africa’s representative at the inter-confederation playoffs in March 2026.
As seen on FIFA's official website, the intercontinental playoffs, which will involve six teams from different continents, will produce the final two nations to complete the expanded 48-team World Cup to be hosted by the United States, Mexico, and Canada.
Chelle set to freshen Super Eagles squad
In a related development, Legit.ng reported that the Super Eagles head coach Eric Chelle will bring in fresh legs for the upcoming FIFA World Cup play-offs.
In a desperate bid to emerge as CAF's sole representative at the inter-continental play-off, the tactician could invite new players to prosecute the fixture.
Source: Legit.ng
