After defeating Benin 4-0 earlier in the day, the Super Eagles secured their spot, and Gabon secured second place in Group F with a 2-0 victory against Burundi and Ivory Coast’s pounding of Kenya to win the group.
Cameroon joined them by finishing second in Group D behind Cape Verde, and DR Congo also secured their qualifying with a close 1-0 victory over Sudan to finish second in Group B behind Senegal.
The four top runners-up from the nine African qualifying groups will compete in the play-offs, which are set for November 13–16 in Morocco.
When FIFA reveals its new rankings on October 23, Nigeria—which is predicted to remain the top-ranked African team among the four—will take on Gabon, the team with the lowest position.
The other semi-final will be contested by Cameroon and DR Congo.
On November 13, both semi-finals will take place, and the victors will face each other in a single-leg final three days later.
To qualify for the World Cup finals in Canada, Mexico, and the United States, the overall winner will go to the inter-confederation play-offs in March 2026.
The venues for the single-leg knockout matches will be decided by CAF later.
After 90 minutes, if there is still a tie, there will be 30 minutes of extra time. If the scores are still knotted, the victor will be determined by a penalty shootout.
The mini-tournament will be held in Morocco, giving Africa another chance to qualify for the bigger 48-team World Cup.
The play-offs will decide whether the continent can add one more participant via the intercontinental route, but all nine African group winners have already advanced straight to the finals the following year.
