Victor Osimhen struck a sensational hat-trick as Nigeria thrashed Benin Republic 4–0 in their final Group C clash of the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers on Tuesday — but it wasn’t enough to hand the Super Eagles an automatic ticket to the tournament.
Osimhen opened the scoring just three minutes in, latching onto a clever pass from Samuel Chukwueze before coolly slotting past the Benin goalkeeper. The Napoli striker doubled Nigeria’s lead in the 37th minute, rising highest to nod home another Chukwueze delivery.
Early in the second half, Osimhen completed his hat-trick with a powerful header from Moses Simon’s set piece. Substitute Frank Onyeka added a fourth, smashing home another Simon cross to complete the rout.
Despite the emphatic victory, Nigeria finished second in Group C after South Africa’s Bafana Bafana defeated Rwanda 3–0 to top the table and claim the group’s automatic World Cup qualification spot.
The Super Eagles will now have to navigate the play-off route in their quest to secure a place at the 2026 World Cup.
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