A Victor Osimhen-inspired Nigeria side thrashed the Cheetahs of the Benin Republic 4-0 at the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium in Uyo on Tuesday, October 14, to keep their hopes of qualifying for the 2026 World Cup alive.

In what was their final match of the 2026 World Cup qualifying series, Nigeria’s chances of automatic qualification out of Group C hinged on South Africa losing and an emphatic win over table-toppers Benin in Uyo.

Head coach Eric Chelle made four changes to his last starting lineup that defeated Lesotho, with Akor Adams and Samuel Chukwueze partnering Osimhen up front, while Zaidu Sanusi returned in defence and Semi Ajayi replaced William Troost-Ekong at centre-back.

Less than three minutes into the game, Osimhen put Nigeria ahead with a fine strike from close range after a clever pass from Chukwueze. The duo combined again for the second goal in the 37th minute, with Osimhen jumping the highest to head Chukwueze’s sublime cross home.

That would be Chukwueze’s final contribution in the match, as the Fulham winger picked up a knock that saw him replaced ahead of the second half. Without his main service man, Osimhen still ended up grabbing a third, nodding home a header off Moses Simon’s cross in the 51st minute.

With a 3-0 lead and a comfortable rhythm, Nigeria’s momentum somewhat slowed down after Osimhen was replaced by Tolu Arokodare in the 81st minute. However, the  Eagles eventually saw the game off, as substitute Frank Onyeka struck heavily from another Simon’s cross to wrap up an emphatic victory that kept their World Cup hopes alive.

Though the desired result from South Africa did not come, with Bafana Bafana defeating Rwanda 3-0 to effectively claim the only automatic qualification spot in the group, Nigeria’s impressive goal-scoring second-place finish ensures they’ll progress to the intercontinental playoffs — a four-team contest for the best second-placed sides across the continent’s qualifying campaign.

Victory in the two-match playoff will see them advance to the inter-confederation playoff, where they’ll face teams from other federations for a chance to grab one of the two remaining tickets to the 2026 World Cup in North America.