Super Eagles insider, Colin Udoh, has revealed that goalkeeper Stanley Nwabali and several teammates appeared unaware that Nigeria needed more than three goals to secure a place in the 2026 World Cup playoffs during their match against Benin Republic.
The atmosphere at the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium in Uyo — and across Nigeria — was tense, as many fans doubted the Super Eagles’ ability to overcome Benin. It could have ended differently had Eric Chelle’s men failed to find the fourth goal.
The Super Eagles eventually triumphed 4–0 over Benin on Tuesday evening, a result that secured their playoff spot.
However, many Nigerians did not realise how close the team came to elimination until Frank Onyeka’s late goal sealed the victory.
CAF had earlier reintroduced a revised system for selecting the second-best teams after Eritrea’s withdrawal from the qualifiers. This rule allowed Nigeria to edge Burkina Faso for the playoff ticket with 15 points and a goal difference of +7, compared to Les Étalons’ 15 points and +6 goal difference.
“The goal was very important, it did look, for some minutes, that the players were not aware they needed a fourth goal,” Udoh said on ESPN FC.
“I saw the goalkeeper wasting time a little bit. I don’t know whether they knew or not, so I texted someone on the bench to tell the guys that we needed a fourth goal.
“We got the fourth goal, and in the end, that single strike was enough for the Super Eagles to edge Burkina Faso and move on to the playoffs.
“I didn’t believe they were going to make it. I was speaking to the NFF President after the game, and he said he was in the dressing room at half-time.
“He told Osimhen and the others that they needed to score four goals to make it through.”
Nigeria will now face Gabon in the playoff scheduled for November 2025 in Morocco.