Victor Osimhen delivered an outstanding hat-trick to power the Super Eagles of Nigeria to a dominant 4-0 victory over the Benin Republic on Tuesday, securing a crucial spot in the African play-off round for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The emphatic performance at the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium in Uyo sealed Nigeria’s position as one of the best second-placed teams across the nine qualifying groups, keeping their aspiration for a ticket to the North American tournament alive. The result provides a significant confidence boost for the team following a tumultuous qualifying campaign.
The talisman was the undisputed star of the night, demonstrating his clinical finishing from the opening minutes of the encounter. Osimhen wasted no time in making his mark, firing home the first goal just three minutes into the game after a sharp attacking move. He doubled Nigeria’s lead before the half-time whistle with a powerful header, converting a brilliant cross from the flank, thus giving the Super Eagles a comfortable two-goal cushion to take into the interval.
Osimhen completed his sensational treble shortly after the restart, pouncing on a defensive lapse by the Benin Republic to slot home his third goal of the evening in the 51st minute. His incredible individual display reaffirmed his status as one of Africa’s most lethal strikers and effectively guaranteed the crucial win the Super Eagles desperately needed. This hat-trick helped the team to finish their group campaign with a goal difference advantage, which proved decisive in the race for a play-off berth among the best runners-up.
Nigeria’s victory was rounded off by a late goal from substitute Frank Onyeka, who delivered a composed finish in the 90th minute to make the final score 4-0. Despite the comprehensive win, the Super Eagles missed out on automatic qualification to the World Cup finals after their Group C rivals, South Africa, secured a simultaneous 3-0 victory over Rwanda, claiming the sole direct ticket. Nigeria’s attention now immediately shifts to the play-off round, where they will compete for one final slot to the inter-confederation play-offs.
The qualification format dictates that the four best second-placed teams from the African groups will advance to a mini-tournament, with the winner proceeding to the inter-confederation play-offs for a chance to claim one of the two final World Cup berths. The determination of these four best runners-up, one of which Nigeria has secured, is based on a final ranking after the conclusion of all ten group matches. The Super Eagles will be one of the four teams to compete in the pan-African play-offs scheduled for November 2025 in a host country to be determined by the Confederation of African Football.
