Two highly anticipated 2026 World Cup qualifiers in Group C of the African zone concluded on Tuesday evening, with Nigeria, South Africa, Benin Republic, and Rwanda vying for qualification. Going into the decisive fixtures, the Super Eagles of Nigeria were in a precarious third position with 14 points, trailing South Africa by one point. Nigeria's fate was not entirely in their hands; they needed a victory against Benin Republic in Uyo and hoped for South Africa to drop points against Rwanda to secure automatic qualification. Prior to the matches, Super Eagles captain William Troost-Ekong and coach Eric Chelle expressed confidence, emphasizing the team's determination to win and make the nation proud. Meanwhile, Benin Republic's coach, Gernot Rohr, a familiar face to Nigerian football fans, also exuded optimism, believing his side was ready to complete the job.

The matches commenced with immediate action. Nigeria quickly took the lead against Benin Republic, with Victor Osimhen scoring to make it 1-0. Simultaneously, South Africa asserted their dominance over Rwanda, with Thalente Mbatha and Oswin Appollis netting goals to give Bafana Bafana a 2-0 lead within 26 minutes. Osimhen further extended Nigeria's lead, heading in a Chukwueze cross to make it 2-0 for the Super Eagles before halftime. At the interval, both Nigeria and South Africa held 2-0 leads, with South Africa provisionally topping Group C and on track for automatic qualification.

The second half saw both leading teams continue their scoring spree. Victor Osimhen completed his hat-trick for Nigeria with a looping header, bringing the score to 3-0. Not long after, Frank Onyeka added a sublime fourth goal, sealing an emphatic 4-0 victory for Nigeria over Benin Republic. Concurrently, Evidence Makgopa scored for South Africa, extending their lead to 3-0 against Rwanda. As the final whistles blew, South Africa clinched a dominant 3-0 win over Rwanda, securing their top spot in Group C and the automatic ticket to the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Despite their emphatic 4-0 triumph, Nigeria finished second in the group, one point shy of direct qualification, but secured a valuable spot in the playoffs as one of Africa's best runners-up.

The outcome elicited mixed reactions from Nigerian football supporters. While acknowledging the well-deserved 4-0 victory and praising the team's effort, many fans expressed disappointment that the impressive performance came too late for automatic qualification. Comments on social media platform X ranged from