Super Eagles: Good omen as match officials confirmed for decisive Nigeria vs Benin 2026 WCQ

The match officials for the Super Eagles‘ crunch FIFA World Cup qualifier against Benin on 14 October have been appointed, with Egyptian referee Omar Amin Mohamed set to take charge in Uyo.

He will be supported by compatriots Mahmoud Ahmed Kamel Ahmed Abouelregal and Ahmed Tawfik Teleb Ali as assistant referees, while Mahmoud Zakaria Mohamed Moustafa Elbana acts as fourth official. Seychelles’ Jason Joseph Damoo will serve as referee assessor, Ghana’s Prosper Harrison Addo has been named match commissioner, and Xolile Nokuthula Vilakati of Eswatini will operate as security officer.

It will not be the first time Omar Amin has overseen a Nigeria vs Benin clash in Uyo. He was also the man in the middle when the Super Eagles beat the Squirrels 3–0 in September last year, a result some may now see as a favourable omen.

Group C on a knife-edge, will Super Eagles scale through?

Eric Chelle’s Nigeria side sit third in Group C on 11 points, trailing both Benin and South Africa by three. Only the group winners are guaranteed a place at the 2026 World Cup, with runners-up pushed into a perilous playoff route where just four of the ten second-placed teams will survive.

FIFA’s ruling against South Africa earlier this week altered the complexion of the group, handing Lesotho a 3–0 victory and docking Bafana Bafana points for fielding the ineligible Teboho Mokoena. The sanction has reignited Nigeria’s faint hopes, but the path to qualification remains fraught.

What Chelle’s squad must do is to win away to Lesotho on 10 October and then overcome Benin in Uyo four days later to finish on 17 points. Anything less, and qualification is gone. Even with maximum points, the Super Eagles still need one of their rivals to slip up.