DR Congo Crushes Super Eagles in Penalty Shootout as Nigeria Crashes Out of 2026 World Cup Qualifiers
Nigeria’s hopes of qualifying for the 2026
FIFA World Cup have been dashed after the Super Eagles suffered a defeat to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DR Congo) in the CAF playoff final on Sunday night.
The match, played in Rabat, ended 1-1 after 120 minutes of tense action and was ultimately decided by a penalty shootout, which the Leopards won.
The Super Eagles started strong, taking an early lead in the first half when Frank Onyeka’s shot found the back of the net via a deflection.
However, the advantage was short-lived. DR Congo’s Mechak Elia capitalized on a defensive error to level the scores, finishing past Super Eagles goalkeeper Stanley Nwabali.
Neither team could find a decisive goal during the remainder of regulation time or the 30 minutes of extra time, forcing the match into penalties.
The penalty shootout proved disastrous for Nigeria as three key players failed to convert their kicks:
* Calvin Bassey
* Moses Simon
* Semiu Ajayi
The missed opportunities allowed DR Congo to clinch the ticket for the next stage of qualification, bringing the Super Eagles’ World Cup journey to a heartbreaking end.
The Democratic Republic of Congo will now represent Africa in the six-team intercontinental qualifier. This final global playoff will be staged from March 23 to 31, 2026, to decide the final two nations that will secure a spot at the 2026 World Cup.
