By Mercy Gadia Adi
Nigeria’s chances of qualifying for the 2026 FIFA World Cup have received a major lift following the Confederation of African Football’s (CAF) decision to revise its qualifying regulations in response to Eritrea’s withdrawal from the competition.
Eritrea’s exit created an imbalance in Group E, leaving only five teams instead of the standard six. To maintain fairness across all groups, CAF and FIFA are set to exclude points earned against the bottom-placed team in each group when determining the four best second-placed teams.
In a circular dated March 14, 2025, and signed by CAF’s Director of Tournaments and Events, Samson Adamu, the body explained that under Article 11.5 of the FIFA World Cup 2026 preliminary competition regulations, results against the lowest-ranked or withdrawn teams will not count in the ranking of runners-up if a group has fewer than six teams.
The adjustment aims to ensure uniformity and balance in assessing teams’ performance across all qualifying groups.
If implemented, the revision could reshape the standings, with Burkina Faso, DR Congo, Madagascar, and Gabon each set to lose up to six points, while Cameroon and Nigeria stand to benefit.
Nigeria, currently outside the top spot after collecting only two points against bottom-placed Zimbabwe, could see their position improve significantly once those results are discounted. The development provides a timely boost to the Super Eagles’ campaign as they prepare for crucial upcoming matches against Lesotho and Benin.
With the revised rule potentially narrowing the gap among second-placed teams, Nigeria now has an enhanced opportunity to qualify for the World Cup playoffs a vital step toward returning to football’s biggest stage after missing the 2022 edition in Qatar.
CAF emphasized that the rule change was necessary to uphold fairness, transparency, and sporting integrity throughout the qualification process, ensuring that unexpected withdrawals do not distort the competition’s structure.