Nigeria Fail to Qualify for 2026 World Cup After Losing to DR Congo on Penalties
Introduction
Nigeria’s
hopes of reaching the 2026 FIFA World Cup came to a heart-breaking end after
the Super Eagles were eliminated by the Democratic Republic of Congo in the
Africa playoffs final. The match, played on November 16, 2025, ended 1-1 after
extra time before DR Congo triumphed 4-3 in a tense penalty shootout. This
result means Nigeria will miss back-to-back World Cup tournaments for the first
time since they first qualified in 1994.
Match Overview
The encounter began with Nigeria making a dream start. Frank Onyeka’s deflected strike in the third minute gave the Super Eagles an early lead, sending the home crowd into jubilation. Nigeria nearly doubled their advantage soon after, with Wilfred Ndidi testing DR Congo’s goalkeeper Lionel Mpasi from distance. However, the game shifted when Victor Osimhen suffered an injury following an accidental elbow from Aaron Wan-Bissaka, forcing his withdrawal at halftime.