2026 World Cup Qualifiers: Super Eagles to face Squirrels at ‘lucky’ AFCON stadium

By Oyediji Oluwaseun Babatunde

Nigeria’s senior men’s national team will face their counterpart from Benin Republic in Matchday four of the 2026 FIFA World Cup in Abidjan.

The game which was initially billed to take place in Benin Republic has been rescheduled to Cote D’Ivoire as the home ground of Gernot Rohr’s side was deemed unfit to host games.

The match has now been scheduled to take place at the Felix Houphpouet Boigny Stadium, Abidjan on June 8, 2024, three days after hosting South Africa.

The same stadium played host to three Super Eagles games at the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) where the team won all the games en route to reaching the final against host, Cote D’Ivoire.

They edged Guinea Bissau 1-0 in their last group game at the same venue.

In the Round of 16, the same stadium staged the three-time African champions’ 2-0 win against Cameroon.

In the quarter-final, Super Eagles pipped Angola 1-0 to make it to the last four at the Felix Houphpouet Boigny Stadium, Abidjan.

The gams against South Africa and the Benin Republic will determine the fate of Nigeria in Group C.

They occupy the third position with two points after two games behind Rwanda (4 points) and South Africa (3 points).

The Squirrels sit at the bottom of the log with a point and also need a positive result in the next two games in the Qualifiers.