How Alexander Isak’s Roots Could Help Nigeria Qualify for the World Cup

The Super Eagles are still fighting to keep their dream of playing at the 2026 FIFA World Cup alive. But at this stage, Nigeria needs more than just good performances, they need a bit of luck, and perhaps, a twist of fate. 

Interestingly, Swedish striker Alexander Isak’s roots might play a surprising role in this.

Nigeria’s struggle in the qualifiers

Nigeria’s World Cup qualifying campaign has been far from smooth. The Super Eagles have managed only two wins in eight matches, leaving them third in Group C with 11 points. Benin and South Africa sit above them with 14 points each. ‘

Even if Nigeria wins their last two games, qualification isn’t guaranteed, they must hope other results go in their favour.

The 2026 World Cup, which will be hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico, will see nine African teams qualify automatically, with one more possibly going through a play-off route. To reach that stage, Nigeria must first finish as one of the four best runners-up across all CAF groups.

The Drama in Group C

The qualification table took a dramatic turn when South Africa were docked three points and three goals for fielding an ineligible player, Teboho Mokoena, in their 2-0 win over Lesotho. 

FIFA ruled that Mokoena had already received two yellow cards in previous matches, making him unavailable for that game. The sanction handed Lesotho the win and moved them up to 11 points tying them with Nigeria.

Still, the path remains tricky for the Super Eagles. With only one automatic spot in each group, the team’s realistic hope may depend on being one of the top four second-place finishers to make it into the play-offs.

How Alexander Isak’s roots come in

The Newcastle United star, who represents Sweden internationally, was born to Eritrean parents. Eritrea, a small East African nation, has withdrawn from the ongoing World Cup qualifiers in Group E.

At first glance, this seems unrelated to Nigeria’s campaign but it could matter a lot. FIFA and CAF have rules that allow certain adjustments when a team withdraws from qualifiers. This often affects how the best runners-up are determined.

In the past, when Eritrea pulled out of the 2010 World Cup qualifiers, FIFA ignored results against the bottom teams in each group to make things fairer between countries who played different numbers of matches. Something similar also happened in the Euro 2016 qualifiers under UEFA.

If FIFA applies that same principle again, matches involving the lowest-ranked teams could be excluded from the final ranking of runners-up. That means Nigeria’s overall standing could improve, potentially putting them among the top four runners-up eligible for the play-offs.

Is this a possibility for the Super Eagles

This development could be the small opening Nigeria needs. Eritrea’s withdrawal, connected to Alexander Isak’s country of origin, may indirectly give the Super Eagles a fairer chance when points are recalculated across groups.

While it may not guarantee qualification, it could be the lifeline Nigeria has been praying for. The team still needs to win their remaining matches, but if the rules work in their favour, their World Cup dream might just stay alive.