Super Eagles coach, Eric Chelle, has named his starting lineup for the game against DR Congo in the final of the 2026 World Cup play-offs, dropping striker, Akor Adams, to the bench.
Akor, who plays for Sevilla, scored the first goal in Nigeria’s victory over the Panthers of Gabon on Thursday, a match the Super Eagles won 4-1.
However, defender Semi Ajayi, who did not play in the semi-final match against Gabon, is back in the starting team, while Frank Onyeka is also part of the first 11.
Ajayi was sidelined for the previous match following an accumulation of yellow cards. He will partner with Fulham’s Calvin Bassey in the heart of Nigeria’s defence.
READ ALSO: [Preview] Nigeria, DR Congo Face-Off In 2026 World Cup Play-Offs Final
Zaidu Sanusi will man the left flank of the Super Eagles’ defence, while fast-rising star Benjamin Frederick takes the right back position.
In midfield, Alex Iwobi of Fulham will pull the strings. The former Arsenal man is supported by Wilfred Ndidi and Onyeka (who came in from the bench in the last game).
As expected, Galatasaray striker Victor Osimhen spearheads Nigeria’s attack. Reigning African Player of the Year, Ademola Lookman, and Samuel Chukwueze will run the flanks.
READ ALSO: Ndidi Eligible To Face DR Congo On Sunday, CAF Confirms
TEAM NEWS ️
Two changes from our win over Gabon. Iwobi pulls the strings in midfield. Osimhen leads the line.#SoarSuperEagles #NGADRC #FIFAWCQ2026 pic.twitter.com/jFdJRgUHPj
The match between Nigeria and DR Congo is a fight for a place in the intercontinental play-offs.
It is a winner-take-all game with the victor going on to represent Africa in the play-offs next March.
Footballer-turned-presenter Alex Scott is trading microphones for mosquitoes on the latest series of I’m A Celebrity: Get Me Out Of Here!
The 41-year-old made 313 appearances for Arsenal between 2002 and 2018, in addition to spells at Birmingham City and in the United States at the Boston Breakers.
Scott also represented England 140 times and played five times for Team GB at the 2012 London Olympics.
Following her retirement from football, Scott began a full-time media career, having regularly appeared as a pundit during her playing career.
Get in touch
Contact form
Who did Alex Scott play for?
Getty Images
Scott grew up in London and signed for Arsenal in 1992 at the age of eight.
A right-back, she stayed with the Gunners until 2004, when she joined Birmingham City for one season before returning to Arsenal.
Scott spent two years with US side Boston Breakers between 2009 and 2011 in the newly formed Women’s Professional Soccer league – making 55 appearances.
She returned to Arsenal in 2011 for a third and final stint before retiring from club football at the end of the 2017-18 season.
Scott won 22 trophies during her time at Arsenal, including scoring the winning goal in the 2007 Uefa Women’s Cup final.
She played for England at under-19 and under-21 levels before her senior debut in September 2004 – and scored 12 goals in her 140 international appearances. She was part of the squad that finished runners-up in the 2009 Women’s Euros, and gained a bronze medal at the 2015 Women’s World Cup.
She also finished fifth at the 2012 Olympics in London as part of Team GB.
What media work has Alex Scott done?
While playing, Scott completed a degree in professional sports writing and broadcasting at the University of Staffordshire.
After retiring, she became a full-time broadcaster, becoming the BBC’s first female pundit at a men’s World Cup when she covered the 2018 tournament in Russia.
Scott also became the first female pundit on Sky Sports in 2018 when she joined Super Sunday.
Away from football, Scott came fifth in the 2019 series of Strictly Come Dancing. She also covered the Tokyo Olympics with the BBC.
Scott continues to be the main presenter for Football Focus, having replaced Dan Walker in 2021.
What is Ask Me Anything?
Ask Me Anything is a service dedicated to answering your questions.
We want to reward your time by telling you things you do not know and reminding you of things you do.
The team will find out everything you need to know and be able to call upon a network of contacts including our experts and pundits.
We will be answering your questions from the heart of the BBC Sport newsroom, and going behind the scenes at some of the world’s biggest sporting events.
A former I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! champion revealed what he sees as campmates’ biggest mistake in the jungle, as he reflected on his own experience
View 5 Images
I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! is back for a new series
I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! has returned with a fresh line-up ready to tackle the upcoming Bushtucker Trials. The brave stars venturing into the jungle this year so far are; Kelly Brook, Martin Kemp, Alex Scott, Jack Osbourne and Ruby Wax, Lisa Riley, Aitch, Angry Ginge, Shona McCarty and Eddie Kadi.
Following tradition, the famous faces will once again trade their luxurious lifestyles for very basic living conditions and must win stars for meals in camp.
Per the show rules, each participant can take along one luxury item – something Joe Pasquale took advantage of back in 2004, after seeking advice from past contestants.
The 64-year-old says contestants frequently make the mistake of choosing a sentimental item, rather than something useful, which they later regret.
Looking back on his jungle stint, he revealed: “I phoned the people I knew who had done it before [and asked], ‘What shall I do?’ and they said, ‘Take a chair’, so that’s what I did.
“That’s what they should do, they should phone the people who have done it before, but they think they know better.”
Highlighting items such as body lotion, cream, a hairbrush and a family picture as standard luxury item selections, Joe fumed: “It’s all a waste of time!
“The only thing you have to take, and this is what I took, is a fold up camping chair because the only thing you have to sit on is your bunk, which is about six inches off the ground, or a wooden log which is round, and after two hours of sitting on a log your back is killing you.
“So, I took a chair so as soon as I got there, I unfolded it and sat in that and everyone is looking at me after a couple of days.
“I kid you not, every single person during the time I was there would say, ‘Joe I’ll swap you two spoonfuls of meat’, or whatever it was we were having for dinner, ‘for two hours in your chair’ because the only thing you want is a chair.”
Joe also confessed that he remained more comfortable in camp thanks to smuggling in additional underwear.
He went on to say: “You’re only allowed two pairs of socks and two pairs of pants, so you know, you’ve got a pair on and then you wash a pair and put them back on.
“But, because it’s so humid out there, the humidity is very high, nothing dries, so you end up putting on damp pants and damp socks.
“Once again, I took advice from other people as well, [and when] I went out there I put on 10 pairs of socks on and had 10 pairs of pants on as well.”
He continued: “They pat you to make sure you haven’t got any contrabands, they check, but no one checked how many socks I had on and no one checked how many pants I had on, very thin pants and very thin socks.
“So every other day, I had clean pants and clean socks and people would go, ‘How come your pants are so dry?’, I’d go, ‘Oh I just dried them out’, but they wouldn’t believe me.”
Joe’s commitments to star in the Aladdin panto at the Swansea Grand next month mean he won’t be able to tune into the show as much as he’d like, though he already has a firm favourite.
“I think Martin Kemp is going to win it, it’s always a nice person who wins it and Martin is a really lovely bloke,” he revealed.
“You never know who to put your bets on, but if I had to take a stab in the dark, I’d go with Martin.”
Joe will be stepping back into the role of the hilarious Frankie in Aladdin from 6 December 2025 to 4 January 2026.
Article continues below
Discussing his return to the stage, he said: “I’ve done [Aladdin] half a dozen times I reckon. I love doing panto, and I did my first three pantos ever in Swansea Grand, it’s like my ancestral panto home, so I’m really looking forward to going back.
“It’s got all the digital sets plus all proper comedy and proper music and proper singing and dancing, it’s just very exciting.” Tickets can be found here.
The singer-songwriter’s tragic final days have been pieced together…
View 3 Images
Body cam footage showed Todd Snider in a police car on 2 November
Music star Todd Snider pleaded with cops arresting him to be let back into a hospital in tragic body cam footage that shows him being handcuffed and put into the back of a police car days before he died. The star is heard telling them: “I have a band, I’m famous – the band ditched me. I need my lawyer here. I’m not a bad person, I promise.”
The star’s untimely death at the age of 59 was revealed yesterday. The singer-songwriter had been forced to cancel dates on his High, Lonesome and Then Some tour saying he’d sustained serious injuries following a “violent assault” outside his hotel.
The star is thought to have gone to the hospital after the alleged attack, but refused to leave once discharged. At one point an officer asked him: “When they told you don’t come back, why did you come back?” He said he didn’t remember that, adding: “I walked as far as I could and I was in so much pain and I came back.”
Later, he begged one of the officers: “Can I please go back to the hospital? Sir, I am sick. Please let me go back, give me one more chance.”
A statement released by his friends and family before he died said he was suffering from an undiagnosed case of ‘walking pneumonia” and that his condition had “become more complicated”. A follow-up post reported the sad news that he had “departed this world”.
The news was greeted with despair by his fans, with one writing: “Absolutely heartbreaking news. Thank you Todd for so many incredible nights of stories and songs that were unlike anybody else and always just pure magic.”
The acclaimed musician, who was behind 14 studio albums, was recorded telling cops earlier this month: “I have a band, I’m famous – they ditched me” and begging to be let back into Holy Cross Hospital in Salt Lake City after they put him in handcuffs.
Todd’s music incorporated alt-country, folk, rock, blues, and funk. He recorded 14 studio albums and his songs included the hits Alright Guy and Talking Reality Television Blues, which was covered by Tom Jones. The Portland-born star was inducted into the Oregon Music Hall of Fame in 2021.
READ MORE: Beloved music star Todd Snider dies at 59 after violent assaultREAD MORE: Music star Todd Snider begs for help as he’s arrested before dying after ‘violent attack’
A statement announced Todd’s death on his Instagram page yesterday. It read: “Where do we find the words for the one who always had the right words, who knew how to distill everything down to its essence with words and song while delivering the most devastating, hilarious, and impactful turn of phrases?
“Always creating rhyme and meter that immediately felt like an old friend or a favourite blanket. Someone who could almost always find the humor in this crazy ride on Planet Earth.”
It went on: “He relayed so much tenderness and sensitivity through his songs, and showed many of us how to look at the world through a different lens.
“He got up every morning and started writing, always working towards finding his place among the songwriting giants that sat on his record shelves, those same giants who let him into their lives and took him under their wings, who he studied relentlessly. Guy Clark, John Prine, Kris Kristofferson, Jerry Jeff Walker.
“How do we move forward without the one who gave us countless 90-minute distractions from our impending doom? The one who always had 18 minutes to share a story. We’ll do it by carrying his stories and songs that contain messages of love, compassion, and peace with us.
Article continues below
“Today, put on one of your favourite Todd Snider records and ‘play it loud enough to wake up all of your neighbours or at least loud enough to always wake yourself up’. We love you Todd, sail on old friend, we’ll see you again out there on the road somewhere down the line. You will always be a force of nature.”
An update on November 3 informed fans that Todd’s High, Lonesome and Then Some 2025 tour dates were having to be cancelled, saying: “Ahead of Todd Snider’s show in Salt Lake City, Todd sustained serious injuries as the victim of a violent assault outside of his hotel.
Portugal crushed Armenia 9-1 despite the absence of suspended talisman Cristiano Ronaldo on Sunday to clinch qualification for the 2026 World Cup finals.
Manchester United’s Bruno Fernandes and Paris Saint-Germain’s Joao Neves both scored a hat-trick as Roberto Martinez’s side racked up a huge win in Porto to top Group F.
Renato Veiga got the ball rolling for Portugal, with Goncalo Ramos and Francisco Conceicao also on the scoresheet.
After a draw in Hungary in October and a surprise defeat in Ireland on Thursday, in which Ronaldo was sent off, Portugal wrapped up qualification at the third attempt in their final group match.
They will compete in a seventh consecutive edition of the World Cup, a tournament which the Euro 2016 champions are yet to win.
“We always want to win in the same way — to be convincing and control the game. It’s not always possible, but today we were effective and achieved a good victory,” said Fernandes.
With midfielder Fernandes playing a key role throughout, Portugal made a quick start by scoring in the seventh minute.
Fernandes’s vicious inswinging free-kick from just outside the left side of the box was pushed onto the post by goalkeeper Henri Avagyan, but Veiga was on hand to head home the rebound.
The visitors shocked the hosts by scoring on their first attack to equalise, with Grant-Leon Ranos crossing for Armenia captain Eduard Spertsyan to strike.
However, Portugal quickly stepped up a gear and racked up an unassailable lead. Paris Saint-Germain striker Ramos intercepted a back pass and squeezed home his country’s second after rounding Avagyan.
Portugal put together a tidy move for their third, with Neves blasting home from the edge of the box after being teed up by Fernandes.
Neves netted a spectacular second with a free-kick which flew into the top right corner, leaving Avagyan with no chance.
Fernandes netted the fifth in first-half stoppage time with a low penalty after Ruben Dias was fouled.
READ ALSO: Ndidi Eligible To Face DR Congo On Sunday, CAF Confirms
Portugal’s forward #09 Goncalo Ramos (C) celebrates his team’s second goal during the 2026 World Cup qualifiers Europe zone group F football match between Portugal and Armenia, at Dragao stadium in Porto on November 16, 2025. (Photo by Miguel RIOPA / AFP)
‘Now we can truly dream’
The Manchester United midfielder continued where he left off after the break, slotting home his second after being fed by Ramos.
Fernandes completed his hat-trick from the penalty spot after debutant substitute Carlos Forbs was felled.
Neves followed suit for Portugal’s eighth goal, smashing home after Veiga headed Fernandes’s cross into his path.
Juventus forward Conceicao added the ninth in stoppage time to seal one of his country’s biggest-ever victories.
“Now we can truly dream about the World Cup, I was very pleased with the players’ response (after the Ireland defeat),” said Martinez.
“We’re at the World Cup! Let’s go, Portugal!” wrote Ronaldo on social media platform X.
The striker could miss the start of the tournament depending on whether FIFA extend his suspension beyond the mandatory one-match ban he served against Armenia.
Ireland stunned Hungary with a late winner to triumph 3-2 in the other Group F match and reach the play-offs, with Troy Parrott following up his midweek brace against Portugal with a hat-trick.
