Nigeria’s hopes of qualifying for the 2026 FIFA World Cup have received a significant boost following the Confederation of African Football’s (CAF) decision to amend the qualification criteria after Eritrea withdrew from the ongoing competition.
Eritrea’s withdrawal created an imbalance in Group E, leaving it with only five teams instead of six. To maintain fairness across all groups, CAF and FIFA are reportedly considering disregarding results against the bottom-placed teams when determining the best runners-up.
According to a circular dated March 14, 2025 and signed by CAF’s Director of Tournaments and Events, Samson Adamu, any group with fewer than five teams due to withdrawal or disqualification will have results against the lowest-ranked sides excluded when comparing second-placed teams.
This change, made in line with Article 11.5 of the FIFA World Cup 2026 preliminary competition regulations, aims to create uniformity in identifying the four best runners-up across the continent.
If implemented, countries such as Burkina Faso, DR Congo, Madagascar, and Gabon could each lose up to six points, potentially reshuffling the qualification standings.
Meanwhile, Cameroon and Nigeria stand to benefit, with Nigeria’s position expected to improve notably, enhancing their prospects of advancing to the World Cup playoffs.
Currently, the Super Eagles sit outside the top spot in their group, having managed just two points against bottom-ranked Zimbabwe. The proposed rule adjustment could eliminate those results, giving Nigeria a clearer path to qualification.
With crucial fixtures against Lesotho and Benin on the horizon, the Super Eagles will aim to take full advantage of the revised system, secure vital wins and reignite their quest to return to the World Cup stage after missing out on the 2022 edition in Qatar.
CAF emphasized that the new measure was essential to preserve fairness, transparency, and sporting integrity across the qualifiers, especially in light of unforeseen team withdrawals.
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