Nigeria and South Africa are approaching the final games of their respective eventful World Cup qualifying campaigns.
The Super Eagles take on Benin in a crucial fixture in the next few days, and they currently sit third in Group C with only one game left to play.
Every group winner will receive direct entry into next summer’s tournament in Canada, Mexico and the United States.
The top four second-placed teams from the nine groups in CAF qualifying are drawn into play-offs to determine the only African representative in the inter-confederation play-offs, where six teams across the different continents face off to decide the final two World Cup finals berths.
In Group C at the moment, Eric Chelle’s Nigeria are third on 14 points, three behind leaders Benin and just one off second-placed South Africa.
Nigeria received a huge boost to their qualification chances last month when South Africa were docked three points by FIFA for fielding a suspended player in their match against Lesotho back in March, and they were handed another as Bafana Bafana were held to a goalless draw by Zimbabwe in Durban on Friday.
Had South Africa not been penalised, they would have been closing in on automatic qualification for the World Cup, but now they must beat Rwanda to seal a top-two finish, with their hopes of winning the group almost dashed by Benin’s win over Rwanda and their failure to beat Zimbabwe.
Nigeria’s final game against Benin in Uyo on Tuesday looks like it will be the decisive fixture of the group, after the Super Eagles defeated Lesotho in South Africa on Friday, although that will be no easy task.
