Victor Osimhen delivered a masterclass in finishing with a stunning hat-trick, as Nigeria thrashed Benin Republic 4-0 in Uyo on Tuesday to book their place in the CAF Four-Team Playoff Tournament for a shot at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
The Super Eagles, needing both a win and favorable results elsewhere, stormed into cAthe playoffs with a commanding performance at the Godswill Akpabio Stadium.
Despite South Africa’s 2-0 win over Rwanda ruling out automatic qualification, Nigeria's emphatic win ensured they topped the table of second-placed teams to reach the next stage.
Osimhen opened the scoring within two minutes, latching onto a perfectly weighted pass from Samuel Chukwueze to wrong-foot the Benin goalkeeper. The Napoli striker then doubled Nigeria’s lead with a towering header in the 36th minute, again assisted by Chukwueze.
Relentless in the second half, Osimhen completed his hat-trick after a Simon Moses free-kick rattled the crossbar, positioning himself perfectly for the rebound. It marked his 29th goal in 44 appearances for Nigeria, inching closer to Rashidi Yekini’s all-time record.
Substitute Frank Onyeka put the icing on the cake in stoppage time, blasting home a late goal after a clever assist from Moses to seal a 4-0 rout.
With the result, Nigeria joins Gabon and Cameroon in the CAF Playoff Tournament set for November 13–16 in Morocco. Either Burkina Faso or DR Congo will complete the quartet.
The winner will move on to the Six-Team Intercontinental Playoff in Mexico next March, where two final slots for the 2026 FIFA World Cup will be up for grabs.
