The Super Eagles, Nigeria’s national football team, have been drawn into Pot 1 for the 2026 FIFA World Cup African qualifiers. The draw ceremony is scheduled to take place on July 13, 2023, in Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire.
Read Also: Highly Touted Onuachu Rejoins Southampton Training Amidst Aribo’s Absence, Igniting Transfer Rumors
The upcoming World Cup will be jointly hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico. FIFA, the global governing body for football, released the seedings based on the June FIFA rankings.
Nigeria finds itself in Pot 1 alongside strong African football nations such as Morocco, Senegal, Tunisia, Algeria, Egypt, Cameroon, Mali, and Cote d’Ivoire. Being in Pot 1 means that the Super Eagles will not face any teams from the same pot during the group stages of the qualifiers.
The qualification format for the 2026 World Cup involves nine groups, each comprising six teams. The group winners will secure direct qualification to the finals. Africa’s representation in the tournament has been increased to a minimum of nine slots and a maximum of ten.
Additionally, the four best runners-up from the group stage will participate in a mini-playoff to determine an extra team that will advance to the Intercontinental playoffs.
Pot 2 consists of Burkina Faso, Ghana, South Africa, Cape Verde, DR Congo, Guinea, Zambia, Gabon, and Equatorial Guinea. Pot 3 includes Uganda, Benin, Kenya, Mauritania, Congo, Madagascar, Guinea Bissau, Namibia, and Angola. Pot 4 comprises Mozambique, Gambia, Sierra Leone, Togo, Tanzania, Zimbabwe, Central African Republic, Malawi, and Libya. Pot 5 features Niger, Comoros, Sudan, Rwanda, Burundi, Ethiopia, Eswatini, Botswana, and Liberia. Lastly, Pot 6 consists of Lesotho, South Sudan, Mauritius, Chad, Sao Tome, Djibouti, Seychelles, Eritrea, and Somalia.
The Super Eagles, led by their coach and players, will eagerly await the outcome of the draw, hoping for a favorable group placement. The path to the 2026 FIFA World Cup will undoubtedly pose challenges, as African football nations strive to secure their spots on the global stage.
Football fans across the continent will be eagerly following the qualifiers as the journey to the prestigious tournament unfolds.
