The opponents for the Super Eagles of Nigeria in the qualifiers for the 2026 FIFA World Cup will be revealed on Thursday during the draw taking place in Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire. Using the seeding technique, the 54 African entries will be divided into nine groups consisting of six teams each. The group leaders from each of these groups will secure a spot in the World Cup.
Additionally, the four best runners-up will participate in play-offs, with the winners advancing to an inter-confederation tournament. In this tournament, they will join five other teams in a bid to claim two World Cup places.
Based on the latest FIFA Rankings, Jose Peseiro’s team, the Super Eagles, are among the top nine seeded teams at the draw. The current African champions, Terangha Lions of Senegal, Atlas Lions of Morocco, Pharaohs of Egypt, Carthage Eagles of Tunisia, and Desert Foxes of Algeria are also seeded for the draw.
The other seeded teams include Les Aiglons of Mali, Indomitable Lions of Cameroon, and Elephants of Cote d’Ivoire.
When the draw takes place, the Super Eagles will hope to avoid their perennial rivals, the Black Stars of Ghana, who are among the second-seeded teams.
