Nigeria’s chances of reaching the 2026 FIFA World Cup look slim after a damaging night in Group C, but former Super Eagles midfielder Friday Ekpo insists all is not lost, Soccernet.ng reports.
Eric Chelle’s men could only draw 1-1 with South Africa in Bloemfontein on Tuesday, a result that briefly lifted them into second place.
But hours later, Benin Republic tore through Lesotho 4-0 in Cotonou to reclaim the spot, leaving Nigeria third with just two games left.
South Africa lead the group on 17 points, Benin are second on 14, while Nigeria and Rwanda sit level on 11. Only the group winners qualify automatically, with a slim lifeline for the four best runners-up across Africa’s qualifying pools.
Still, 1992 Africa Cup of Nations bronze medalist Ekpo has urged Nigerians not to give up hope.
Copyright: IMAGOxAdekunlexAjayix
What Friday Ekpo says of Nigeria’s World Cup chances
“The Super Eagles’ hope of qualifying for the 2026 World Cup is not over yet,” the former Nigeria international told CompleteSports.
“The most important thing at the moment is for the team to win their remaining two games and hope other countries from other groups fail to get higher points.
“So, I still believe that the Super Eagles will make it to football’s biggest showpiece. The draw against South Africa doesn’t mean that we are out of the World Cup race. Until the final game, I am still optimistic Nigeria can qualify for the World Cup.”
Get Our Sports News First – Join Our WhatsApp Channel Now!
That optimism comes against a bleak backdrop. Benin, coached by former Super Eagles boss Gernot Rohr, looked ruthless on Tuesday night. Brest striker Steve Mounié opened the scoring after a defensive blunder, then set up Andreas Hountondji for 2-0 inside half an hour.
Hassane Imourane’s deflected strike made it three before the break, and Junior Olaitan added a fourth with a close-range header in the 66th minute. Lesotho never recovered, their night compounded by a delayed kickoff after power issues inside the stadium.
Benin's Cheetahs are now firmly in contention for a historic qualification.
Nigeria, meanwhile, face an uphill battle. The Super Eagles must beat Rwanda and Benin in October and pray results elsewhere align. Anything less and the Super Eagles risk missing back-to-back World Cups for the first time since their debut in 1994.
