2026 WCQ: What Monday’s African results mean for Nigeria’s World Cup hopes

Matchday 10 of the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers delivered drama across Africa, as teams battled for a place at the tournament, Soccernet.ng reports.

However, while nations like Tunisia celebrated progress, the Super Eagles of Nigeria were left with mounting pressure ahead of their crucial clash against Benin Republic.

In Group C, Nigeria’s situation remains tense despite their 2–1 win over Lesotho. That result, combined with Benin’s 1–0 victory over Rwanda and South Africa’s goalless draw with Zimbabwe, left the table finely balanced.

Matchday 10: World Cup Qualifying Results

Tunisia cruised to a comfortable 3–0 win over Namibia to strengthen their position in Group H, while Cape Verde also impressed with a 3–0 victory against Eswatini.

Lesotho secured a narrow 1–0 triumph over Zimbabwe, as Equatorial Guinea were held to a 1–1 draw by Liberia.

Elsewhere, Togo and South Sudan shared the spoils in a goalless draw, São Tomé and Príncipe edged Malawi 1–0, and both Libya and Cameroon were frustrated by stalemates against Mauritius and Angola, respectively.

 

Cape Verde make it 6⃣ African nations at the #FIFAWorldCup after another busy day of #WCQ. pic.twitter.com/bdGdWno7d2

— CAF_Online (@CAF_Online) October 13, 2025

How Group C Table Looks For Nigeria

Benin currently top the group with 17 points, followed closely by South Africa on 15 and Nigeria on 14. With just one game left, only a win—and possibly a favourable result from the other fixture—will be enough to keep Nigeria’s World Cup dreams alive.

Lesotho’s 1–0 victory over Zimbabwe on Monday pushed them to 12 points and sealed their fate. Although, Rwanda will be looking to finish above the Crocodiles as they face South Africa today.

Taiwo Blames Poor Planning for Nigeria’s Struggles

Former Super Eagles defender Taye Taiwo recently expressed his frustration with Nigeria’s struggles for the 2026 World Cup ticket. 

“It’s a shame. Upon all the good players we have, it’s a shame that we can’t make it to the World Cup… If you are going for the World Cup, you need to start early. For the World Cup, there’s no time to wait for anybody.”

The former AC Milan left back blamed Nigeria's poor planning and instability, which hindered the team’s chances, especially compared to nations like Egypt and Tunisia, who started their campaigns on a strong note.

Troost-Ekong Rallies the Team Ahead of Benin Clash

As Nigeria prepare to face Benin in what has been dubbed their biggest test yet, Captain William Troost-Ekong admitted that pressure within the camp has been high since March.

“It’s going to be another big test, but I think the team is really ready,” he declared. “We’ve been working under pressure for such a long time, and we all know this is the final. We’re working very hard to get there.”

A victory in Uyo will keep Nigeria’s hopes alive, but they will also need South Africa to drop points against Rwanda to stand a realistic chance of topping the group.