*South Africa beat Rwanda to pick Group C ticket to the 2026 Mundial

Duro Ikhazuagbe 

Three goals from Victor Osimhen and a late fourth from Frank Onyeka ensured that Nigeria’s Super Eagles defeated Benin Republic 4-0 and book a place amongst the four best runners up for the Continental playoffs in Morocco next month.

As expected, South Africa defeated Rwanda 3-0 in Mbombela Stadium in Nelspruit to leapfrog Benin  to the top of Group C with 18 points. The victory earned the Bafana Bafana the direct qualification ticket to the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

But in Uyo, Super Eagles who realized that the direct qualification ticket had slipped, had to put up the fight of wounded lions to be amongst the four best teams. And Galatasaray top striker, Osimhen made that possible. He fired two quick goals in the third and 37th minutes to end the first half 2-0 in favour of Nigeria. Former AC Milan forward, Samuel Chukwueze, contributed both passes that Osimhen converted to goals.

On return from the first half break, Osimhen completed his hat trick when he headed into the net Moses Simon’s lob for his third goal of the evening that took his goals tally in the entire qualification series to six.

Substitute Frank Onyeka  sealed the fourth vital goal for Nigeria few minuets after he came on for Moses Simon.

It was mission accomplished for Super Eagles who finished the qualifiers on same 17 points as Benin but better on goals difference to place second behind winners South Africa on 18 points.

Nigeria’s Super Eagles  however finished overall  fourth on the best runners up standings after the removal of points earned against all the last teams of the nine groups according to CAF rules of the competition.

The withdrawal of Eritrea from the qualifiers caused CAF to order the deduction of all points earned against the last teams in all the nine groups. It was done to reduce all the groups to five teams to give all fairness in deciding the four best runners up teams. Eagles were lucky to lose just two points from the home and away draw results against Zimbabwe, the last team in Group C.

Gabon lead the ranking of second best teams on 19 points while D.R. Congo are second on 16 points. Cameroon placed third on same 15 points as Nigeria.

Two other countries that also finished on same 15 points (Burkina Faso and Niger) lost out on inferior goals difference to Nigeria and Cameroon.

Before the end of the fixtures in Uyo, Uganda’s Cranes had created fears in the minds of Nigerian fans when they led already qualified Algeria in Algiers in the first half. But two late goals by Algeria effectively put paid to the dreams of the Ugandans qualifying to be amongst the top four best runners up teams.

FINAL GROUP C STANDINGS

Teams.                P.  W. D.  L.  GD.  PTS

S’Africa.              10. 5.  3.   2.    +6   18

Nigeria.               10. 4.  5.   1.    +7.     17

Benin.                   10. 5.  2.   3.    +1.   17

Lesotho.               10.  3.  3.   4.     -3.  12

Rwanda.               10.  3.   2.   5.    -4   11

Zimbabwe.           10.   0.   5.  5.    -7.    5

RESULTS

Seychelles 0-7 Gambia

Algeria 2-1 Uganda

Guinea 2-2 Botswana 

Nigeria 4-0 Benin

Somalia 0-1 Mo’bique 

S’Africa 3-0 Rwanda 

DR Congo 1-0 Sudan

Gabon 2-0 Burundi

I’Coast  3-0 Kenya

Morocco 1-0 Congo

Senegal 4-0 Mauritania 

All the 9 Qualified African Teams

*Morocco

*Tunisia

*Algeria

*Cape Verde

*Egypt

*Ghana

*South Africa

*Ivory Coast

*Senegal

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