Nigeria’s World Cup hopes just got brighter following Eritrea’s withdrawal from the 2026 FIFA World Cup African Qualifiers, Nigeriasoccernet.com reports.
The Super Eagles currently face a difficult task of qualifying for next year’s World Cup, as they sit third in their group, going into the final two qualifiers
Although Nigeria can still qualify as group winners if results go their way, the chances of that happening are quite low.
However, the three-time African champions could still have a chance at qualification, as CAF has adjusted the qualification rules following Eritrea's withdrawal.
CAF adjusted qualification rules state that results against bottom-ranked or withdrawn teams will no longer count when comparing second-placed teams across all groups.
Eritrea's withdrawal leaves Group E with 5 teams (Morocco, Zambia, Congo, Tanzania, Niger), while others have 6. To fairly compare runners-up for playoffs, CAF excludes points from matches against the lowest-ranked team in 6-team groups. This ensures comparison based on an equal number of games (8 per team). No group has fewer than 5 currently.
That means Nigeria, which dropped points against Zimbabwe (the last one in group B), won’t be penalized in the race for one of Africa’s playoff spots.
With crucial games ahead against Lesotho and Benin, the Super Eagles now have a clearer path back to the World Cup stage after missing out on Qatar 2022.
Uche Dozie