Friday Ekpo insists Nigeria is still in the World Cup race despite South Africa draw

Former Super Eagles midfielder, Friday Ekpo, has expressed confidence that Nigeria can still secure a place at the 2026 FIFA World Cup despite their 1-1 draw with South Africa in Bloemfontein on Tuesday.

The result leaves Nigeria’s qualification hopes hanging in the balance. With just two matches left to play in Group C, the Super Eagles sit third on 11 points, level with Benin Republic, who have a game in hand, and six points behind leaders South Africa, who have 17 points.

What Ekpo said

Speaking to Complete Sports, Ekpo admitted the task is now more difficult but stressed that qualification is still possible if Nigeria wins their remaining fixtures.

“The Super Eagles’ hope of qualifying for the 2026 World Cup is not over yet. The most important thing at the moment is for the team to win their remaining two games and hope other countries from other groups fail to get higher points,” he said.

He continued, “So, I still believe that the Super Eagles will make it to football’s biggest showpiece. The draw against South Africa doesn’t mean that we are out of the World Cup race. Until the final game, I am still optimistic Nigeria can qualify.”

Nigeria must now rely not only on maximum points from their remaining fixtures but also on the overall group standings, as the best second-placed teams across the qualifiers are expected to earn World Cup slots.