Nigeria vs DR Congo live: Latest score and updates from World Cup 2026 play-off – UK Times

Nigeria XI: Nwabali; Ajayi, Fredrick, Bassey, Sanusi; Onyeka, Ndidi, Iwobi; Lookman, Osimhen, Chukwueze.

Subs: Okoye, Ekong, Ejuke, Adams, Arokodare, Simon, Onyemaechi, Abdullahi, Obasogie, Osayi, Adike, Awaziem.

The line-ups should be released in the next five minutes or so, so here’s a reminder of the early team news.

Nigeria boss Eric Chelle has close to a full-strength squad available, welcoming Ademola Lookman back from suspension to join Victor Osimhen and Samuel Chukwueze in attack. The only injury involving the Super Eagles regards Ola Aina, who has been out for a couple of months.

DR Congo will continue to bemoan the absence of Yoane Wissa, though their attacking threat isn’t exactly non-existent with Cedric Bakambu up top, who is two goals shy of the nation’s all-time record holder Dieumerci Mbokani. Aaron Wan-Bissaka, relatively fresh off changing allegiances from England back in August, will also be expected to start.

The 48 nations competing at the 2026 World Cup will discover their group stage opponents when the draw takes place on 5 December.

The tournament will be the first to feature 48 teams, expanded from 32 in Qatar, and will also be the first World Cup to be hosted by three countries. The majority of 104 games will be staged in the USA (78), with Mexico and Canada hosting 13 each.

The World Cup will begin on 11 June in Mexico’s historic Azteca Stadium, the scene of Brazil’s 1970 glory inspired by Pele and Argentina’s success in 1986 led by Diego Maradona.

It will conclude with the final on 19 July at the MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.

Here is everything you need to know.

World Cup qualifying is hurtling towards a conclusion with some of the final places ahead of the tournament in the United States, Canada and Mexico up for grabs over the coming days.

So far, 30 teams have booked their places in what has already been a historic campaign for three first-time qualifiers, with Jordan, Uzbekistan and the Cape Verde islands all through to the 48-team finals.

England, France and Croatia are the only European teams to have qualified so far but the other nine group winners will be gradually confirmed in the next few days as the first round of qualifying finally concludes.

Elsewhere, we have largely reached play-off time across the rest of the world; and that’s before the rest of the European play-offs and inter-continental play-offs in March.

The match will kick off at 7pm GMT (UK time) on Sunday 16 November.

Viewers in the United Kingdom can watch the match live for free via the Fifa+ streaming service.

Nigeria boss Eric Chelle has close to a full-strength squad available, welcoming Ademola Lookman back from suspension to join Victor Osimhen and Samuel Chukwueze in attack. The only injury involving the Super Eagles regards Ola Aina, who has been out for a couple of months.

DR Congo will continue to bemoan the absence of Yoane Wissa, though their attacking threat isn’t exactly non-existent with Cedric Bakambu up top, who is two goals shy of the nation’s all-time record holder Dieumerci Mbokani. Aaron Wan-Bissaka, relatively fresh off changing allegiances from England back in August, will also be expected to start.

Nigeria and DR Congo look to keep their World Cup dreams alive as they meet for the chance to go through to the intercontinental play-offs next year.

Victor Osimhen and Chidera Juke were the extra-time heroes for Nigeria as the Super Eagles booked a place in the CAF play-off final with a 4-1 win over Gabon on Thursday.

DR Congo then defeated a talented Cameroon side 1-0 in the other semi-final as Chancel Mbemba’s dramatic winner in stoppage time knocked out the five-time African champions.

DR Congo have only played in the World Cup once in 1974, when the country was called Zaire, while Nigeria are looking to return to the World Cup for the first time since 2018.

The winners of the CAF play-off final, to be held in the Moroccan capital Rabat, will advance to March’s inter-continental play-offs, joining the likes of Bolivia and New Caledonia.

Hello and welcome to The Independent’s live coverage of tonight’s CAF play-off final between Nigeria and DR Congo.

The two sides meet in Morocco to decide which African nation will take the continent’s place in the inter-confederation play-offs, which will pit nations from different continents together for places at the 2026 World Cup.

Nigeria overcame Gabon in the semi-final while DR Congo gained a narrow victory over Cameroon, though both sides will need to be at their best if they are to take another step towards qualification tonight.

We’ll have all the latest build-up, team news and updates right here.