A place in the 2026 FIFA World Cup inter-confederation playoff is on the line on Sunday when Nigeria take on DR Congo in Rabat, in what is easily the biggest match yet of the African playoffs.
The Super Eagles are aiming to reach the World Cup for the seventh time, while the Leopards are chasing only their first appearance since 1974.
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Nigeria’s long road to the playoff final
Nigeria arrive in Sunday’s game after surviving a dramatic semi-final against Gabon. The Eagles struggled to break down the Panthers for long spells, but Akor Adams broke the deadlock in the 78th minute after pouncing on a defensive mistake.
Gabon equalised one minute into stoppage time, forcing extra time, where Chidera Ejuke restored Nigeria’s lead. Victor Osimhen then scored twice to seal a 4–1 victory and push his international tally to 31 goals—only six behind the late Rashidi Yekini’s record.
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Nigeria reached the playoffs after finishing second behind South Africa in the group phase, and their qualification was further aided by Eritrea’s withdrawal from the qualifiers.
Because of Eritrea’s withdrawal, all results against the bottom-placed teams across the groups were cancelled.
When the table was recalculated, Nigeria remained high enough among the best second-placed teams to advance into the playoff round.
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DR Congo grind past Cameroon, carry real threats
DR Congo’s own semi-final was also tense. The Leopards beat Cameroon 1–0 thanks to a last-gasp header from captain Chancel Mbemba.
Mbemba is only one part of a strong Congolese unit.
Chelle and his army must beware of Cipenga, Noah Sadiki and Silas Katompa. The Leopards boast a close-knit backline, and they also carry danger in attack through Cédric Bakambu, Meshack Elia, Samuel Essende, and the sharp Pyramids FC forward Fiston Mayele.
The DR Congo have won their last three matches by narrow margins, demonstrating patience, discipline, and a willingness to fight until the final whistle.
The Leopards made it to the playoffs after finishing second in Group B, behind Senegal’s Teranga Lions.
Team news: Ndidi cleared to play
Nigeria received a significant boost after CAF confirmed midfielder Wilfred Ndidi is eligible for the final. Ndidi had been expected to miss the match due to accumulated yellow cards, but CAF clarified that cautions from the qualifiers do not carry over to the playoffs.
This means Ndidi is available to captain the team again if the Super Eagles Coach chooses to start William Troost-Ekong on the bench again.
The Eagles are expected to keep faith with the same core group that faced Gabon. Benjamin Fredrick and Calvin Bassey should continue in central defence, while Osimhen will lead the attack.
DR Congo have no new injuries and will line up with their strongest squad, including Mbemba, Wan-Bissaka and Bakambu.
Ekong: Congo DR “will be a big challenge”
Nigeria captain William Ekong has warned that the Leopards will pose a serious threat.
“There is no doubt that the Congolese will be a big challenge. They got here because they are tough and ambitious, and also want to go to the World Cup,” Ekong told the NFF’s media department.
“However, we have a large group of players here, 24 of them, out of which only about four of us have been to the World Cup (in 2018). There is that adrenaline flowing in their system to go to the World Cup, and I see it as a big motivation for us to conquer on Sunday.”
Ekong added that although Nigeria would have preferred to qualify directly, the team is determined not to waste this second chance.
“We would have preferred to have taken the automatic ticket, but it didn’t work out. Now, we are here and we have a second chance and we do not intend to bungle it.”
What lies ahead — the intercontinental playoff
Already qualified for the Intercontinental Playoffs — scheduled to be held in the Mexican cities of Guadalajara and Monterrey in March — are Bolivia and New Caledonia. Iraq, Jamaica and Panama are also well-placed to join them.
READ ALSO: Nigeria vs DR Congo: Five Super Eagles stars who must deliver to ensure victory
However, Nigeria and Panama are the highest-ranked of the six and will both be seeded if they qualify.
This means they would each play only one match — the final match — after the other four teams first battle each other in the semi-finals.
For Nigeria, winning on Sunday means facing just one more opponent for a ticket to the World Cup.
Sunday’s final kicks off at 8 p.m. at the Complexe Sportif Prince Moulay El Hassan in Rabat.
Head-to-head
Nigeria vs DR Congo
13 Dec 1969: DR Congo 5-0 Nigeria (Friendly: Kinshasa)
01 March 1976: DR Congo 2-4 Nigeria (AFCON finals: Dire Dawa)
19 Jan 1992: DR Congo 0-1 Nigeria (AFCON finals: Ziguinchor)
02 Apr 1994: DR Congo 0-2 Nigeria (AFCON finals: Tunis)
03 Mar 2010: Nigeria 5-0 DR Congo (Friendly: Abuja)
08 Oct 2015: DR Congo 2-0 Nigeria (Friendly: Visé)
27 May 2018: Nigeria 1-1 DR Congo (Friendly: Port Harcourt)
Between 1971 and 1997, DR Congo was known as Zaire
Eric Chelle’s Super Eagles Record
21 Mar 2025: Rwanda 0-2 Nigeria (FIFA World Cup Q: Kigali)
25 Mar 2025: Nigeria 1-1 Zimbabwe (FIFA World Cup Q: Uyo)
28 May 2025: Nigeria 2-1 Ghana (Unity Cup: London)
31 May 2025: Jamaica 2-2 Nigeria (Unity Cup: London). Nigeria win 5-4 on penalties to retain the trophy
06 Jun 2025: Russia 1-1 Nigeria (Friendly: Moscow)
06 Sep 2025: Nigeria 1-0 Rwanda (FIFA World Cup Q: Uyo)
09 Sep 2025: South Africa 1-1 Nigeria (FIFA World Cup Q: Bloemfontein)
10 Oct 2025: Lesotho 1-2 Nigeria (FIFA World Cup Q: Polokwane)
14 Oct 2025: Nigeria 4-0 Bénin Republic (FIFA World Cup Q: Uyo)
13 Nov 2025: Gabon 1-4 Nigeria (FIFA World Cup Playoff: Rabat)
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