Nigeria vs Benin: World Cup qualifier – start time, team news and lineups

Who: Nigeria vs Benin
What: CAF qualifiers for FIFA 2026 World Cup
Where: Godswill Akpabio International Stadium, Uyo, Nigeria
When: Tuesday astatine 6pm (16:00 GMT)

How to follow: We’ll person each the build-up connected Al Jazeera Sport from 13:00 GMT successful beforehand of our unrecorded substance commentary stream.

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Nigeria big Benin successful the last matchday of the FIFA World Cup 2026 Confederation of African Football (CAF) archetypal round, looking to bargain nonstop qualification for adjacent year’s tourney from the Group C leaders.

The Super Eagles’ task is momentous: Benin pb them by 3 points and by 2 connected extremity difference, making the fixture a must-win for the Nigerians if they privation to person immoderate accidental of qualification, either arsenic the radical winners oregon arsenic the runners-up who could perchance vie successful November’s interconfederation playoff for a imaginable 10th African World Cup spot.

For Benin, the calculus is straightforward: triumph oregon gully against the three-time African champions and the Cheetahs marque past and suffice for the World Cup finals for the archetypal time. Even a nonaccomplishment against Nigeria – and if different Group C contenders South Africa gully oregon suffer their last fixture – could inactive seal nonstop qualification for the squad from the West African nation.

Here is each to cognize earlier the highly anticipated, last matchday showdown betwixt Nigeria and Benin:

Where bash Nigeria and Benin presently basal successful Group C?

Late past month, Benin drew level with Group C leaders South Africa aft they received a three-point deduction from FIFA for fielding an other subordinate successful an earlier fixture and past took implicit the standings pb connected Friday erstwhile Banfa Banfa played retired a highly disappointing 0-0 gully against last-placed Zimbabwe connected the ninth matchday.

Benin and Nigeria some won their matchday 9 fixtures connected Friday, beating Rwanda (1-0) and Lesotho (2-1) respectively.

A Benin triumph successful Uyo would warrant them a maiden World Cup appearance, portion thing little could let 1 of their 2 radical rivals to leapfrog them.

Tuesday’s matchday 10 fixtures are the last radical matches and volition beryllium played astatine the aforesaid time.

1. Benin: 17 points (+5 GD)
2. South Africa: 15 points (+3 GD)
3. Nigeria: 14 points (+3 GD)
4. Rwanda: 11 points (-1 GD)
5. Lesotho: 9 points (-4 GD)
6. Zimbabwe: 5 points (-6 GD)

Benin are successful the astir favourable presumption successful Group C for nonstop qualification into the FIFA 2026 World Cup finals [File: Sia Kambou/AFP]

Why was the Nigerian team’s level forced to marque an exigency landing?

The level carrying the Nigeria squad from South Africa to Uyo for their last World Cup qualifier was forced to marque an exigency landing successful Angola connected Saturday, their media representatives said.

The craft took disconnected from Polokwane successful South Africa and made a scheduled refuelling halt successful the Angolan capital, Luanda, earlier heading for confederate Nigeria.

But 25 minutes into that journey, the aviator was forced to instrumentality to Luanda “after a dense ace connected the aircraft’s windshield distorted what had started arsenic a creaseless flight”, the Super Eagles’ typical said.

Why were South Africa stripped of World Cup qualifying points successful Group C?

Last month, South Africa were stripped of 3 points successful their World Cup qualifying run for fielding an ineligible player, denting their hopes of reaching adjacent year’s finals and handing a World Cup lifeline to the different Group C contenders, Benin and Nigeria.

FIFA said its disciplinary committee had recovered South Africa blameworthy of playing midfielder Teboho Mokoena successful a 2-0 location triumph implicit Lesotho successful March erstwhile helium should person sat retired the qualifier aft 2 cautions successful erstwhile radical games.

Lesotho person been awarded the lucifer 3-0 and South Africa stripped of the points.

At the clip of the announcement connected September 29, South Africa were inactive apical of the standings with 14 points, but lone connected extremity quality from Benin with 2 games left. In the penultimate radical fixtures, South Africa played retired a gully and Benin won, enabling Benin (17) to pb Bafana Bafana (15) by 2 points with 1 matchday remaining.

When was the past clip the 2 sides met?

Benin defeated Nigeria 2-1 successful a FIFA World Cup fixture connected June 10, 2024, astatine the Stade Felix Houphouet-Boigny successful Abidjan, Ivory Coast.

Raphael Onyedika enactment Nigeria up successful the 27th minute, but 2 Benin goals earlier half-time from Jodel Dossou and Steve Mounie’s match-winner were capable to unafraid the 3 points for the Cheetahs.

Benin’s #9 Steve Mounie celebrates with teammates aft beating Nigeria 2-1 successful the FIFA 2026 World Cup qualifier Group C lucifer astatine the Felix Houphouet-Boigny Stadium successful Abidjan, Ivory Coast, connected June 10, 2024 [Issouf Sanogo/AFP]

How galore African teams volition suffice for the FIFA World Cup 2026?

African World Cup qualifying is arranged into 9 groups of six nations.

The 9 Confederation of African Football (CAF) radical winners unafraid nonstop introduction to the World Cup 2026, portion the 4 champion runners-up volition enactment successful an intercontinental playoff for the anticipation of securing a 10th spot astatine the tournament.

Of the 9 African groups, 5 teams person already qualified for adjacent year’s World Cup finals successful North America: Algeria, Egypt, Ghana, Morocco and Tunisia. The remaining 4 volition beryllium decided connected Tuesday.

CAF World Cup 2026 qualification dates:

• First circular (November 15, 2023, to October 14, 2025): Group signifier features 54 teams.
• Second circular (November 10-18, 2025): The 4 champion radical runners-up play successful a semifinal-final format. Winners vie successful an interconfederation playoff for a imaginable 10th African World Cup spot.

Will Nigeria’s Victor Osimhen play against Benin?

Nigeria recalled antecedently injured prima guardant Victor Osimhen for their past FIFA World Cup qualifying lucifer against Lesotho connected Friday, and helium volition beryllium connected the transportation against Benin connected Tuesday.

Osimhen, who plays for Turkish giants Galatasaray, says Nigeria participate the must-win brushwood arsenic underdogs.

“Against Benin, we volition beryllium underdogs, and Benin are the favourite to win. Because we person been playing a atrocious crippled for our standards, it conscionable doesn’t travel together,” helium said.

“We cannot committedness our fans much. But we volition fight. This radical keeps connected giving – it doesn’t stop. We anticipation it volition beryllium our crook to beryllium connected apical connected Tuesday if we play our portion arsenic players. I don’t privation to speech overmuch astir different things, but I americium not blessed [with] however we correspond our country.”

Nigeria’s Victor Osimhen heads the shot during the FIFA World Cup 2026 Africa qualifiers Group C lucifer against Lesotho successful Polokwane, South Africa, connected October 10, 2025 [Phill Magakoe/AFP]

Team news: Nigeria

In a large stroke for manager Eric Chele, Ademola Lookman, the 2024 African Ballon d’Or winner, volition beryllium unavailable against Benin owed to suspension.

Lookman, who plays for Italian nine broadside Atalanta Bergamo, was booked for the 2nd clip successful 2 matches successful their 2-0 triumph against Lesotho connected Friday, triggering a one-match prohibition for the talented forward.

Key defender Ola Aina volition miss his 2nd consecutive lucifer for the Super Eagles arsenic helium recovers from an wounded sustained against South Africa connected September 9.

Chele volition apt play his broadside successful a 4-2-3-1 enactment with Osimhen arsenic the lone striker.

Chadian referee Alhadi Mahamat shows a yellowish paper successful the 64th infinitesimal to Nigeria’s guardant #7 Ademola Lookman, left, during the FIFA World Cup 2026 Africa qualifiers Group C lucifer against Lesotho successful Polokwane connected October 10, 2025 [Phill Magakoe/AFP]

Team news: Benin

Coach Gernot Rohr volition person a afloat squad disposable for enactment against Nigeria.

Rohr regularly deploys a 4-2-3-1 enactment with Mounie starring the line. Andreas Hountondji and Dossou volition play cardinal attacking roles conscionable down Mounie.

The backline of Tamimou Ouorou, Olivier Verdon, Yohan Roche and Mohamed Tijani is unchanged from their past lucifer connected Friday – a constrictive 1-0 triumph implicit Rwanda successful Kigali – with Marcel Dandjinou again the starting goalkeeper.

How galore FIFA World Cup finals person Nigeria reached?

Nigeria person been to six FIFA World Cup finals but missed retired connected the astir caller tourney successful Qatar successful 2022.

Possible starting lineups

Nigeria: Nwabali (goalkeeper); Troost-Ekong, Fredrick, Bassey, Onyemaechi; Ndidi, Iwobi; Chukwueze, Simon; Osimhen, Arokodare

Benin: Dandjinou (goalkeeper); Ouorou, Verdon, Tijani, Roche; D’Almeida, Imourane; Dossou, Dokou, Hountondji; Mounie

Head-to-head

Nigeria and Benin person played 12 times crossed each competitions since 2004.

Nigeria person won 9 times, portion Benin person 2 victories.

The sides person played retired 1 draw.

Last 5 matches

Nigeria

L-W-W-D-W (all competitions, past effect connected the right)

Benin

L-L-W-W-W

What the coaches had to say

Eric Chele, Nigeria caput coach:

“The suspension [of Ademola Lookman] is unfortunate, but the squad has the spot and quality to win,” helium said.

Gernot Rohr, Benin caput coach:

“Yes, it volition beryllium a fantastic last successful Uyo and it’s successful our hands [to suffice for a historical archetypal World Cup finals], which is unimaginable erstwhile you spot Nigeria and South Africa down us,” helium said.

“But each tin alteration successful 1 game, the past game. So we are precise humble and we cognize that we person to bash it again, and it volition beryllium much hard successful Nigeria than successful Rwanda. We cognize this, of course.”

Benin’s German caput manager Gernot Rohr, who antecedently managed Nigeria from 2016 to 2021, is connected the cusp of making past arsenic the West African federation closes successful connected its archetypal FIFA World Cup finals quality [File: Issouf Sanogo/AFP]