Nigeria goalkeeper Stanley Nwabali says they are taking the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers playoffs as a second chance to book their place at the tournament in North America next year.
The Super Eagles find themselves having to travel the long route to the World Cup after finishing second in the CAF qualifying Group C with 17 points in 10 matches having had to do it all in the last qualifying match against Benin.
They meet Gabon in a mini tournament in the semi-final on Thursday, 13 November and the winner of this encounter plays the winner of the other semi-final between Cameroon and DR Congo. The prize is the final qualifier in the Inter-Continental tournament where the winner will secure a spot at the World Cup.
Nwabali said this is a second chance for them that will also help in preparations for the upcoming 2025 Africa Cup of Nations.
“I really feel like us Nigeria we feel like it’s a really second chance for us coming into these World Cup qualifiers,” said Nwabali.
“Talking about our game against Benin I felt like we really passed maybe one, two, three games without picking a lot of points we wanted. But towards the end of the World Cup qualifiers, we started getting ourselves knowing how the team is going to play and shape how we are going to build.
“But I feel like these playoffs are also going to be good for the upcoming AFCON.”
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