The senior national team of Nigeria will likely be up against Ghana in the race to be at the 2026 World Cup, which will take place in Canada, Mexico and the USA, OwnGoalNigeria.com reports.
Super Eagles failed to make it to the 2022 World Cup in Qatar losing on a 1-1 aggregate to Ghana in the play off. Ahead of tomorrow’s draw for the qualifiers for the 2026 edition, there is a possibility of facing the same team in the new format of the qualifiers following an increase in the slot available to Africa.
54 African countries will be divided into nine groups of six teams. All eventual group leaders will secure places at the World Cup.
The best four runners-up will then go into play-offs and the winners join five other teams in an inter-confederation tournament with two World Cup places up for grabs.
Seedings for the draws which will take place in the Ivorian city of Abidjan will be done using the latest FIFA rankings for the month of June. The nine best teams in Africa will be seeded and it includes Nigeria.
Others seeded teams are Morocco, Senegal, Tunisia, Algeria, Egypt, Cameroon, Mali and Cote d’Ivoire. Traditional teams like Ghana, South Africa, Congo Dr, Ghana, Guinea, Zambia and Gabon all missed out by virtue of their spot in the latest rankings.
It means they could be drawn in the group against the seeded teams raising the possibility of a Nigeria vs Ghana battle for a world cup slot again. A clash that will no doubt provoke memories in the minds of the players and fans of the Nigerian team owing to the disappointment of last time out.
Mohammed Mowiz Suleiman
