The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) Congress rose from its Annual General Meeting in Asaba on Friday and assured the Nigerian Government of its commitment to ensure that the Super Eagles qualify for the 2026 World Cup.

 The Nigerian team has had a poor head start in the series and has not won any of the four matches. There are six more matches to be played.

 Only one of the the six teams will pick an automatic ticket even as Nigeria sat dangerously fifth in Group C. Their next match is away to group leaders, Rwanda on 17 March next year.

 Another drop of points portends deep dangers as the Super Eagles have zero option other than to win all the remaining six matches.    Two of those matches are potentially risky. These are the away duels with South Africa on 7 September and Lesotho on 5 October next year.

  Both matches will be played in South Africa which also hosts Lesotho home games apart from the fact that Lesotho is geographically completely encircled by South Africa.

  The quest to qualify for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations is relatively easier as the Super Eagles are in the lead of the quartet that includes Benin Republic, Rwanda and Libya.

 Two teams will qualify. Victory over Libya in the back-to-back clashes holding in the next few days will likely qualify Nigeria for Morocco 2025.

Nigeria’s World Cup Qualifying Fixtures

• 17 March 2025 – Rwanda v Nigeria
• 24 March 2025- Nigeria v Zimbabwe
• 1 Sept. 2025 –      Nigeria v Rwanda
• 7 Sept. 2025 –     South Africa v Nigeria
• 5 Oct. 2025 –      Lesotho v Nigeria
• 12 Oct. 2025 –    Nigeria v Benin Republic

Nigeria’s AFCON Cup Qualifying Fixtures

• 10 Oct. 2024 –  Nigeria  v Libya
• 15 Oct, 2024 – Libya v Nigeria
• 11 Nov. 2024 – Benin Republic v Nigeria
• 19 Nov. 2024 –    Nigeria v Rwanda

Argentina have been boosted by the return of captain Lionel Messi for their CONMEBOL World Cup Qualifiers against Venezuela and Bolivia, the country’s football association said on Wednesday, after the 37-year-old recovered from an ankle injury.

Messi, who plays for Major League Soccer club Inter Miami, was left out of Argentina’s squad for their World Cup Qualifiers against Chile and Colombia in August due to the injury which he sustained during the Copa America final.

Argentina beat Colombia 1-0 to win a record 16th Copa America title.

ARGENTINA SQUAD:

Goalkeepers – Geronimo Rulli, Walter Benitez, Juan Musso.

Defenders – Gonzalo Montiel, Nahuel Molina, Cristian Romero, Lisandro Martinez, Nicolas Otamendi, German Pezzella, Leonardo Balerdi, Marcos Acuna, Nicolas Tagliafico.

Midfielders – Rodrigo De Paul, Alexis Mac Allister, Leandro Paredes, Enzo Fernandez, Giovani Lo Celso, Thiago Almada, Guido Rodriguez, Nico Paz.

Forwards – Nicolas Gonzalez, Lautaro Martinez, Alejandro Garnacho, Julian Alvarez, Valentin Carboni, Valentin Carboni, Paulo Dybala and Lionel Messi.

Argentina goalkeeper Emiliano “Dibu” Martinez has been suspended for two matches by FIFA for “offensive behaviour”, the Argentine Football Association (AFA) said in a statement on Friday.

Martinez will miss Argentina’s next South American qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup against Venezuela and Bolivia in October.

The Aston Villa goalkeeper has been suspended over incidents in matches against Chile and Colombia earlier this month.

In the Chile game, his first since winning the Copa America in the United States, Martinez celebrated by making a lewd gesture with the trophy, as he did after winning the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.

After the loss to Colombia, the 32-year-old hit a local television camera.

“Damian Emiliano Martinez is being held responsible for his offensive behaviour and violation of the principles of fair play,” the AFA said in a statement, adding that it disagreed with the FIFA Disciplinary Committee’s decision

-Reuters