Victor Osimhen was in sensational form as the Super Eagles of Nigeria thrashed Benin Republic 4-0 in Uyo to book a place in the 2026 FIFA World Cup intercontinental play-offs.
The Galatassary striker struck a superb hat-trick, while Frank Onyeka added a fourth in stoppage time as Nigeria produced one of their most commanding displays of the qualifying campaign.
Osimhen opened the scoring in the 3rd minute, finishing calmly from Samuel Chukwueze’s pass to set the tone for a dominant evening. He doubled the lead in the 37th minute with a towering header from another Chukwueze cross before completing his hat-trick early in the second half, nodding in Moses Simon’s delivery to make it 3-0.
Frank Onyeka capped off the victory in stoppage time, firing Simon’s low cross into the roof of the net to seal a memorable win for Finidi George’s men.
Despite the emphatic result, the Super Eagles narrowly missed out on automatic qualification after South Africa defeated Rwanda 3-0 in Nelspruit to top Group C with 18 points, just one ahead of Nigeria.
Nigeria finished second with 17 points and now advances to the CAF play-offs, where the four best runners-up across all groups will compete for a spot in the intercontinental play-offs next March.
The Super Eagles’ focus now shifts to the play-off stage, where they will battle for one of Africa’s remaining slots for the 2026 World Cup in the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
