The Super Eagles of Nigeria have been eliminated from the race to the 2026 FIFA World Cup, falling to the Democratic Republic of Congo in a dramatic African play-offs final decided by penalties on Sunday.
Nigeria’s hopes of returning to football’s biggest stage were dashed after a tense 1-1 draw in normal and extra time, followed by a 3-4 loss in the shootout. The defeat means the Super Eagles will not feature at the tournament scheduled to hold in Canada, the United States and Mexico.
The match, played at the Moulay Hassan Stadium in Rabat, began in Nigeria’s favour.
The Super Eagles struck early, taking the lead just three minutes into the encounter when midfielder Frank Onyeka found the net, handing Nigeria an early advantage and lifting the team’s confidence.
But the Leopards of DR Congo responded with resilience, gradually growing into the game and eventually forcing the equaliser to push the contest into extra time. With both sides unable to break the deadlock, the match went to penalties.
In the shootout, DR Congo held their nerve, converting four of their efforts against Nigeria’s three to book Africa’s sole ticket to the intercontinental play-offs coming up in March next year.
The result marks a major setback for Nigeria’s football ambitions, as the Super Eagles will now miss a second consecutive World Cup after failing to qualify for Qatar 2022.
The defeat also ends a promising run in the play-offs, where Nigeria had earlier defeated Gabon 4-1 in the semi-final to reach Sunday’s decisive fixture.
