2026 World Cup draw: Esin predicts tough qualifying encounter for Super Eagles in Group C

Former Super Eagles ace, Etim Esin has predicted tough group encounter for Nigeria in the 2026 FIFA World Cup Group C that pitched them against South Africa, Benin, Zimbabwe, Rwanda, and Lesotho.

The former junior international popularly called ‘Superbrat Etim Maradona’ said Super Eagles will need to buckle up and be determined to scale through this group.

“It is going to be a tough group”, Etim told sportinglife.ng, but with determination and proper planning and strategical approach, Nigeria should be able overcome the challenges in the group.”

The 2026 edition of the World Cup, to be jointly hosted by Canada, the United States, and Mexico, will be the first competition with 48 participating teams, offering Africa an impressive nine guaranteed spots. A tenth African side can qualify through the playoffs.

With this enlarged field, the Super Eagles have a fantastic chance to secure their place in the tournament.

“We have the players that can deliver the ticket, but they need to be focused and go for the price because playing in the World Cup is an ultimate goal of every player. It also enhances their profiles and their contract values. A World Cup player is a super star among his teammates. It opens lucrative endorsement doors and it also help the players to acquire more technical experience,” Esin said.

He also urged the player to always be at their best to make the national team assignments, stressing that only the best players should be available to play for Nigeria.

“If there’s no sentiment in team selection for important matches. If football agents were not allowed to destroy the team I think Nigeria should a team to beat in the group,” Esin added.

If Nigeria qualify, it will mark the Super Eagles’ return to the World Cup after their outing in 2018, where a Gernot Rohr-led team advanced to the finals in Russia with a game to spare.

Still haunted by the ghost of not qualifying to play at the last World Cup, Nigeria will now do everything possible to qualify for the 2026 edition.

Interestingly, Rohr now guides the destiny of Benin’s Squirrels, adding an extra layer of competition to the race for a coveted spot in the 2026 edition. This dynamic raises the stakes and ignites the fire of redemption for Rohr and the Super Eagles.

In the annals of their football history, the Super Eagles have never tasted defeat against Benin.

Out of their 14 encounters, the three-time African champions have emerged victorious 12 times and settled for draws on two occasions.
The Super Eagles boast an impressive record against Lesotho, having emerged victorious in all four previous encounters, with an aggregate scoreline of 10-2.

This historical advantage positions Nigeria as the favourite in their upcoming clash.

Having only faced Rwanda twice in FIFA World Cup qualifying series, Nigeria secured a 2-0 home win and a 1-1 away draw.

South Africa’s Bafana Bafana are yet to find the back of the net against Nigeria in four previous FIFA World Cup qualifying matches.

The Super Eagles hold the upper hand in this rivalry, boasting three wins and one draw against their southern African opponents.

With a clean sheet record and a ten-goal advantage, Nigeria will aim to maintain their superiority and extend their dominance. In the only previous World Cup qualifier between Nigeria and Zimbabwe, the Super Eagles secured resounding victories both home (5-1) and away (0-3).

Interestingly, the Super Eagles have never faced Benin or Lesotho in a World Cup qualifying match.

This fresh challenge brings an air of intrigue as both teams seek to make their mark and test Nigeria’s mettle.

Nigeria boast an impressive record with six World Cup appearances since their debut at USA ’94.

In contrast, South Africa have made three appearances, while Benin, Rwanda, Lesotho, and Zimbabwe are eager to make their debut on the global stage.

Road to the World Cup
The qualification campaign for the Super Eagles and their counterparts kicks off on the first weekend of November.