Sports

Nigeria’s 2026 World Cup Hopes Soar as CAF Adjusts Qualification Rules After Eritrea’s Withdrawal

Nigeria’s dream of qualifying for the 2026 FIFA World Cup has received a significant boost following a rule adjustment by the Confederation of African Football (CAF).

The change comes after Eritrea withdrew from the qualifiers, leaving Group E with only five teams instead of six. To restore fairness across all groups, CAF and FIFA have decided that points earned against the bottom-placed teams will no longer count when determining the best runners-up.

In a circular dated March 14, 2025, and signed by CAF’s Director of Tournaments and Events, Samson Adamu, the body explained that whenever a group has fewer than five teams due to withdrawal or disqualification, results against the lowest-ranked sides will be excluded from comparison among second-placed teams.

This adjustment, made under Article 11.5 of the FIFA World Cup 2026 preliminary competition regulations, aims to maintain uniformity and sporting balance in selecting the four best runners-up across Africa.

The revision could dramatically alter the qualification picture — Burkina Faso, DR Congo, Madagascar, and Gabon may each lose six points, while Cameroon could drop four. Conversely, Nigeria stand to gain, as the Super Eagles’ two points earned against bottom-placed Zimbabwe would no longer hold them back in the rankings.

With crucial fixtures against Lesotho and Benin ahead, Nigeria now have a golden opportunity to climb higher in the standings and reignite their bid for a return to the World Cup stage after missing out on Qatar 2022.

CAF emphasized that the decision was made to uphold fairness, transparency, and integrity in the competition despite unexpected withdrawals, ensuring all teams compete on a level playing field.

Mike Ojo

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