Nigeria’s hopes of qualifying for the 2026 FIFA World Cup will take centre stage in September when their Super Eagles prepare for decisive fixtures against Rwanda and South Africa. The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) on Wednesday, August 20, confirmed that the national team camp will start in Uyo on September 1, five days before their crucial qualifier against Rwanda scheduled for September 6 at the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium. The Eagles will then travel to Bloemfontein to face South Africa at the Free State Stadium on September 9. Nigeria are currently under pressure, sitting fourth in their qualifying group with just seven points from six matches. The team has managed only one victory – a 2-0 win away in Kigali against Rwanda – alongside three draws, and a shock defeat to Benin. Group leaders South Africa have 13 points, followed by Rwanda and Benin with eight points each, while Lesotho and Zimbabwe followed with six and four points respectively. Only the team that tops the group will qualify automatically for the World Cup, which will be co-hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico. With four games remaining, Nigeria must secure maximum points and rely on favourable results elsewhere if they are to make it to the tournament. Super Eagles head coach Eric Chelle is yet to release his squad list for the September fixtures, though the announcement is expected in the coming days. The home-based Super Eagles endured a disappointing campaign, losing 1-0 to Senegal and 4-0 to Sudan before beating Congo 2-0 on their final group match in CHAN 2024. The Super Eagles famously missed out on the 2022 World Cup in Qatar after losing out to Ghana in the final playoff round.
