Nigeria’s hopes of reaching the 2026 FIFA World Cup have officially come to an end. The Super Eagles were eliminated after a painful penalty shootout loss to the Democratic Republic of Congo in the CAF final playoff.
The match ended 1–1 after regulation and extra time, sending the tie to penalties for a spot in the intercontinental playoff scheduled for March. DR Congo’s Chancel Mbemba held his nerve to convert the decisive penalty—his second late, match-winning contribution in consecutive games, following his goal against Cameroon in the semifinal.
After the defeat, Nigeria captain William Troost-Ekong expressed both pride in his teammates and deep disappointment at the outcome.
“We’re devastated. As a team, I’m really proud of the boys… they always gave everything, not just in this game but throughout the last 10 months.”
Troost-Ekong acknowledged the team’s shortcomings on the night but insisted there were positives to build on, especially with the Africa Cup of Nations just weeks away.
“It wasn’t good enough today, but there’s so much positive to take from here. There’s an AFCON in a month’s time.”
Despite the heartbreak, he remained optimistic about the road ahead.
“I think the future of this team is bright… but today is a really tough day and all of us are feeling it. We wanted to be at the World Cup, but it didn’t work out that way.”
