Nigeria’s Super Eagles lost 4-3 on penalties to the Leopards of the Democratic Republic of Congo after the game ended 1–1 in 120 minutes in the final of the 2026 FIFA World Cup African Play-offs at the Prince Héritier Moulay El Hassan Sports Complex, Rabat, on Sunday night.
The defeat dashed Éric Chelle’s men’s hopes of securing a place at the Intercontinental Play-offs scheduled to hold in Mexico in March 2026.
In this piece, Completesports.com’s ADEBOYE AMOSU highlights the major talking points from the keenly contested encounter.
Super Eagles Struggle Again Without Osimhen
There is a belief that the Super Eagles cannot cope without Victor Osimhen, and recent results have strengthened that argument. Most of Nigeria’s poor results in the qualifiers came when the Galatasaray striker was unavailable.
The Super Eagles have never lost a match in which Osimhen scored or provided an assist. That trend continued after he was substituted at half-time against the Leopards due to a hamstring problem.
With Osimhen on the pitch, Nigeria took the lead and looked capable of scoring more. Without him, Éric Chelle’s side struggled to create meaningful chances in the second half and extra time.
Tactical Switch Disrupts Team Rhythm
Head coach Éric Chelle had largely used a diamond 4-4-2 formation throughout his tenure with the Super Eagles. The team looked particularly impressive in the first half of their 4-1 win over Gabon in the semi-final.
Against the Leopards, however, Chelle switched to a 4-3-3 formation, which interrupted the team’s cohesion. Long balls from the back frequently bypassed the midfield, preventing the forwards from retaining possession in the opposition half.
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This contributed to DR Congo’s dominance, especially in the second half and during extra time.
Wingers Fail to Inspire Yet Again
Ademola Lookman, Samuel Chukwueze, and Moses Simon — despite their experience and pedigree — again failed to deliver when it mattered most.
Lookman and Chukwueze had minimal impact in the previous match against Gabon and were both substituted early in the second half. Their inclusion in the starting XI against DR Congo came as a surprise.
Moses Simon, who replaced Chukwueze in the 57th minute, also had a disappointing outing and later missed from the spot in the shootout.
Only Sevilla winger Chidera Ejuke made a positive impact following his introduction.
Defenders Step Up When Others Falter
On a day when the midfielders and forwards struggled, Nigeria’s defenders rose to the occasion. Calvin Bassey and Semi Ajayi were outstanding at the heart of the Super Eagles’ defence.
The pair consistently repelled the Leopards’ attack led by Fiston Mayele and Cédric Bakambu.
Brentford youngster Benjamin Fredrick also impressed at right-back. Although the Congolese targeted his flank for most of the match, he stood firm throughout.
Nwabali’s Heroics Fall Short
Chippa United goalkeeper Stanley Nwabali made a stunning late save to take the match into extra time. Despite recent criticism of his performances for the national team, Nwabali was one of the key reasons the Super Eagles did not lose in regulation time.
The former Enyimba and Katsina United shot-stopper also made two superb saves during the shootout, but sadly, his heroics were not enough to prevent Nigeria’s elimination.
