Super Eagles captain, William Troost-Ekong has admitted that Nigeria’s road to the 2026 FIFA World Cup remains long and demanding despite securing a place in next month’s CAF Play-off Tournament in Morocco.
Nigeria produced their best performance of the qualifying campaign on Tuesday with a resounding 4–0 win over Benin Republic in Uyo, but the result was not enough to earn an automatic World Cup spot. Instead, the three-time African champions will now have to navigate the continental play-offs to keep their qualification hopes alive.
Speaking after the match, Ekong praised the team’s resilience and unity while acknowledging that the qualification route had not been straightforward.
“We are quite happy to have that opportunity. It is a long route, but it is a route after all,” Ekong said.
“We would have loved to get the automatic ticket, but it didn’t happen, and we take what we have. For us, we will remain strong and tough and ready to confront every challenge on our way as we search for the ticket to the 2026 FIFA World Cup.”
The defender commended the collective effort of his teammates in the crucial win that secured Nigeria’s progress.
“It was a wonderful team effort on Tuesday evening. Everyone contributed; each person played their part. If the other match had gone in our favour, we would be with the automatic ticket now. But that’s life. You take what you get and run with it, and make the best of it,” he added.
Victor Osimhen was the star of the night at the Godswill Akpabio Stadium, scoring a hat-trick before substitute Frank Onyeka sealed the victory in stoppage time. However, the Eagles’ hopes of topping Group C were dashed when Rwanda failed to hold South Africa in Mbombela.
In the upcoming CAF Play-offs, Nigeria will face Gabon in the first semi-final on Thursday, November 13, while Cameroon will meet DR Congo the following day. The winners of both matches will meet in the final on Sunday, November 16, with the overall champion advancing to the intercontinental play-offs in March 2026.
The final play-off tournament, to be staged in Mexico, will see six teams; Africa’s representative, Bolivia, New Caledonia, the Asian play-off winner between Iraq and the United Arab Emirates, and two from the trio of Jamaica, Costa Rica and Panama, competing for the two remaining spots at the 2026 World Cup.
Credit: punchng.com
