The Super Eagles reached this stage following their 4-0 decimation of Benin in their last Group C match in Uyo, with Victor Osimhen getting a hat-trick.
With, Eric Chelle’s men picked one of the four best runners-up after results against Zimbabwe were discounted due to the differing group sizes as a result of Eritrea’s withdrawal.
The pairings for the African playoffs have the highest-ranked team in the FIFA rankings of October 23 playing the lowest-ranked, while the second-highest face the third-highest.
FIFA, however, issued the October rankings on Friday, earlier than it had previously scheduled.
Nigeria rose to 41st with Cameroon 54th and DR Congo 60th.
Gabon jumped two places to 77th from the September 18 rankings.
That mini-tournament billed to be in Mexican cities of Guadalajara and Monterrey in March 2026 will feature Bolivia, New Caledonia, two teams from Central America, and one from Asia, with two nations ultimately qualifying for the finals to be co-hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
The rule states that if scores are level at the end of regulation, 30 minutes of extra time will be played, where each team will be allowed a sixth substitution. If the scores remain tied, a penalty shootout will be used to determine the winner.
Nigeria’s international friendly against Venezuela, initially billed for the United States in November, will no longer hold due to this important assignment.
The Super Eagles’ last appearance at the global showpiece was at Russia in 2018, where the team coached by Gernot Rohr, failed to qualify from a group that had Croatia, Iceland and reigning world champions Argentina.
Their ambition to make it to the 2022 edition in Qatar got dented by Ghana’s Black Stars in a gruelling two-legged playoffs played in Cape Coast and Abuja, respectively.
