Daily Times

Underperforming Nigeria and disadvantaged Sudan share the spotlight ahead of two 2026 World Cup qualifying matchdays in Africa from Wednesday.

Seeded to win Group C and automatically qualify, a Nigerian team boasting the past two African Footballers of the Year Victor Osimhen and Ademola Lookman lie fifth in a six-team section.

In a qualifying competition spanning three years, the Super Eagles drew with Lesotho, Zimbabwe and South Africa, then crashed to Benin in pursuit of a seventh World Cup appearance.

Since finishing 2024 Africa Cup of Nations runners-up to hosts Ivory Coast, Nigeria have had three coaches — locals Finidi George and Augustine Eguavoen and now Eric Chelle.

Fired by Mali after a poor start to their World Cup campaign, Ivory Coast-born Chelle admits he faces a “huge challenge”, starting with Rwanda away and Zimbabwe at home this month.

Blessed with outstanding forwards Osimhen and Lookman, the coach says “football is about scoring goals and I favour an attacking style”.

Seeded fifth in Group B, Sudan occupy first place ahead of a top-of-table clash with three-time World Cup qualifiers Senegal in Benghazi as they try to reach the finals for the first time.

The match is in Libya because Sudan has been engulfed in a civil war since April 2023. The conflict has claimed tens of thousands of lives and uprooted more than 12 million people.

AFP Sport highlights five matchday five clashes as the African qualifying schedule reaches the halfway mark:

Ethiopia v Egypt

As if trying to contain star Egypt forwards Mohamed Salah and Mahmoud Trezeguet is not sufficiently daunting, Ethiopia must also deal with recent Manchester City recruit Omar Marmoush.

Salah and Trezeguet are the leading scorers in African qualifying with five goals each — between them netting all but one of the Pharaohs’ 11 in Group A, which they lead by four points.

Although this is a home fixture for Ethiopia, ranked 113 places below Egypt, it will be staged in Morocco because the east African country lacks a FIFA-approved stadium.