Nigeria vs. DRC: Why Final winner won’t qualify for World Cup just yet
BY MACHAWE FAKUDZE
MBABANE – The question on every African football fan’s mind this weekend is: Will it be the Super Eagles of Nigeria or the Leopards of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) taking a vital step toward the 2026 World Cup?
Nigeria and the DRC have booked their spot in the highly anticipated African World Cup playoffs final, scheduled for Sunday. The winner, however, still faces a long and challenging path to secure a ticket to the expanded tournament.
The Super Eagles secured their place in convincing fashion, dismantling Gabon 4-1 in Rabat, Morocco, on Thursday evening. The Leopards edged a star-studded Cameroon side 1-0 at the Al-Barid Stadium to set up the decisive showdown with Nigeria.
The final is set to be played on Sunday at the Stade Prince Héritier Moulay El Hassan, with kick-off at 9pm.
Despite the significance of the Sunday match, the winner will not automatically secure a World Cup berth. This is due to the complicated nature of the expanded 48-team format for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which will be hosted across Canada, Mexico, and the United States of America.
According to reports, including those from South African soccer publication Kick Off, the victor of the continental playoff will advance to the six-team Intercontinental Playoff Tournament, scheduled for March 2026.
Africa’s representative will join five other nations: one each from CONMEBOL (South America), the OFC (Oceania), and the AFC (Asia), plus two from CONCACAF (North and Central America/Caribbean).
From this six-team tournament, only two teams will secure the final spots for the 2026 World Cup, meaning four nations will miss out despite being only one tournament away. Nine African teams have already secured direct qualification slots for the global showpiece.
The final playoff represents a crucial, but not final, step in the arduous journey toward football’s biggest stage.
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