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Prominent Nigerian striker Victor Osimhen may play a crucial role when they face the Democratic Republic of Congo on Sunday in a battle for survival in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers in Rabat. The winner of the African play-off final will advance to a six-nation intercontinental tournament in Mexico in March, which includes teams from all football regions except Europe. However, the loser will be eliminated from the competition to join the record 48 nations participating in the global event hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico. Nigeria and DR Congo were among four countries given a second chance to qualify after finishing as the top runners-up from nine African groups. In the semifinals on Thursday, Galatasaray forward Osimhen scored twice in extra time as Nigeria defeated Gabon 4-1, while Chancel Mbemba secured a late 1-0 victory for DR Congo over Cameroon. Osimhen, who was named African Player of the Year in 2023, netted a hat-trick last month in a 4-0 win over Benin, helping Nigeria secure a spot in the play-offs. The 26-year-old, who continues to wear a protective mask following serious facial injuries four years ago, posed a constant threat against Gabon and could have scored six goals. On several occasions, he came very close to scoring before, in the final minute of added time, he shot wide with only goalkeeper Loyce Mbaba to beat. I was really disappointed after missing that chance. It was a bad miss, Osimhen told reporters. Sometimes I score amazing goals no one expects, and other times I miss when people expect me to score. I apologized to my teammates after that miss and promised to find the net in extra time, which I did twice. Nigeria has qualified for the World Cup six times in eight attempts since their first appearance in 1994. ‘PASSION’ The Super Eagles have never missed consecutive World Cups since their debut and are eager to make up for a play-off loss to Ghana that kept them out of the Qatar World Cup three years ago. Nigeria is ranked 19 places above DR Congo in the world rankings and is the favorite to win the clash between the Super Eagles and the Leopards, but Ivory Coast-born coach Eric Chelle remains cautious. The win over Gabon means nothing. We now face formidable opponents in DR Congo, and if we win, there will be time to celebrate. We are trying to create an identity. My players understand what I want and are improving mentally and technically with each international window. The key to success against Gabon was passion. It was about working together. We have to rediscover that passion against the Congolese, said the 48-year-old former Mali coach. While Nigeria has been a regular participant in the four-yearly World Cup, the Congolese made only one appearance, in 1974, when the mineral-rich central African country was known as Zaire. French coach Sebastien Desabre has transformed the always talented but often inconsistent Congolese into a tough team led by outstanding center-back Mbemba from Ligue 1 club Lille. We have experienced players. What we are building hasn’t happened overnight. We are going to give our all against Nigeria, Desabre promised. Nigeria has participated in 16 World Cup qualifying campaigns, while DR Congo has taken part in 12, but the match at the 22,000-seat Prince Heritier Moulay El Hassan Stadium will be their first encounter. Bolivia and New Caledonia have already secured spots in the intercontinental tournament, with Iraq or UAE representing Asia, and Jamaica and Panama leading the race to be the two Central American/Caribbean qualifiers.

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