The Super Eagles of Nigeria will face a long and tortuous road in their bid to qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, reports Completesports.com.
The Confederation of African Football (CAF) executive committee approved the format and dates of the qualifiers at its meeting in Algiers, Algeria on Thursday.
The new format has been adapted in line with FIFA’s expanded FIFA World Cup format.
48 countries will participate in the competition for the first time.
All the 54 Member Associations of CAF who will be divided into nine (9) Groups.
Winners of each Group will automatically qualify for the FIFA World Cup 2026.
The four best runners-up (from the Groups) will play in a CAF Play-Off tournament. The winner (CAF Play-Off tournament) will play in the FIFA Play-off Tournament.
The Super Eagles failed to qualify for the last edition of the World Cup hosted by Qatar.
The 2026 World Cup finals will be hosted by Canada, Mexico and United States of America.
