The Super Eagles will need to play as many as 10 matches home and away to qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, according to a top credible source.
The CAF executive committee has met in Algiers to decide on the format and timing of the African zone qualifying tournament for the 2026 World Cup, which has been expanded to allow for nine automatic tickets from Africa while another African team also doing battle for an additional slot through an intercontinental playoff.
CAF have yet to make public their decision.
However, top journalist Osasu Obayiuwana, who is in Algiers, has reported that there will now be nine groups of six teams each with the overall group winners advancing automatically to the next World Cup to be hosted by Canada, Mexico and USA.
He cited a CAF executive member present at Thursday’s meeting as his source.
The best four second-placed teams in the nine groups will also get a second chance to qualify for the World Cup when they feature in a playoff among themselves with the overall winners going on to an intercontinental playoffs.
The Super Eagles failed to qualify for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar after they were eliminated by perennial rivals Ghana on the away goals rule.
Both teams played out a goalless draw in Kumasi before Ghana scored a precious goal in a 1-1 draw in Nigeria to go through to the global finals.
