South Africa secured their spot in the 2026 World Cup by defeating Rwanda 3-0, despite facing a three-point deduction for fielding an ineligible player in previous matches. This marks South Africa’s first World Cup appearance since automatically qualifying as the host nation in 2010.

In the same group, Nigeria finished in second place and will now have to go through a playoff to secure their spot in the tournament. Nigeria’s victory over Benin, with a 4-0 win at home fueled by a hat trick from star striker Victor Osimhen, propelled them to the playoff stage. Benin had been leading the group before the final round of matches.

Credit: Reporting by The Associated Press.

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