A top official of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) says the withdrawal of Eritrea from the world cup qualifiers, which left their group with a team less unlike other groups will likely benefit the Super Eagles based on past antecedents, OwnGoalNigeria.com reports.
Eritrea were to play their games in group E alongside Morocco, Zambia, Congo, Tanzania and Niger in World Cup qualifiers, but withdrew in November 2023 before the first game leaving the group with five teams rather than six.
It means teams in the group will play lesser games than others in the group with six teams, which will be an undue advantage when the classification is done for second place teams for the playoff featuring the best four teams in second position.
In previous cases, FIFA, CAF and UEFA have used a method of deducting points across all groups in matches against the bottom teams of their group to make it even before deciding on the team that finishes second to even things up.
” The moment I saw your report on it. I informed my colleagues in the NFF and we made contact based on it and it’s indeed factual. In the past FIFA has used it and even CAF. So it’s an advantage to us at the moment if they end up doing it the way it has been done in the past”, he told OwnGoalNigeria.com.
” However our aim is still to make it as group winners so a heavy score win in our last two games with the hope that results elsewhere go our way is the target. It’s still very possible as long as there is a mathematical chance”.
