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Victor Osimhen and Akor Adams will spearhead the Super Eagles’ attack in a decisive World Cup qualifying clash against Benin Republic in Uyo.

The pair showed promising chemistry in Nigeria’s last outing against Lesotho, where they combined to score the team’s second goal.

Adams, making his debut, was set up by Osimhen shortly after coming on in the second half. He dribbled the Lesotho defenders before fiercely slotting the ball past the goalkeeper.

That impactful link-up appears to have convinced head coach Eric Chelle to start both strikers in what is being billed as a make-or-break encounter.

Captain William Troost-Ekong, who started against Lesotho, begins on the bench, with Wilfred Ndidi wearing the armband today.

Zaidu Sanusi also returns to the starting lineup, joining Benjamin Fredrick, Calvin Bassey, and Semi Ajayi in defence.

In midfield, Ndidi will be partnered by Alex Iwobi, while Samuel Chukwueze and Moses Simon provide width on the wings.

Nigeria must defeat their West African neighbours today to stand a chance of making it to the World Cup next year. Even with a win, Nigerian will be hoping that South Africa does not get a win against Rwanda for automatic qualification.

See the full lineup below:

Four changes from our win over Lesotho
©️ Ndidi leads the team tonight
Simon makes his 85th appearance
⚡️ Osimhen partners Akor Adams up front

Let’s get this over the line, boys #SoarSuperEagles | #FIFAWCQ pic.twitter.com/WOZRKqmFo8

The Swedish Football Association said Tuesday it had sacked national team coach Jon Dahl Tomasson following three straight losses in World Cup qualifying.

The FA said the decision, which had been taken on Tuesday and was effective immediately, was “based on a lack of results in the World Cup qualifiers”.

“There is still a chance to make the playoffs in March, and our responsibility is to ensure that we have the best possible conditions for reaching the World Cup finals,” Simon Astrom, president of the association, said in a statement.

READ ALSO: 2026 WCQ: Thousands Set For Pro-Palestine Demonstration Ahead Of Italy’s Game Against Israel

On Monday, Sweden lost to Kosovo 1-0 in Gothenburg thanks to a solitary strike by Fisnik Asllani of Hoffenheim.

Despite having Arsenal’s Viktor Gyokeres and Liverpool striker Alexander Isak starting together up front, Sweden have failed to even score in their last three matches and sit bottom of Group B.

Tomasson, a former Denmark international who notably played for AC Milan, Feyenoord, and Newcastle, assumed the role in February 2024.

Italy’s 2026 World Cup qualifier with Israel will be prefaced by a major pro-Palestinian demonstration on Tuesday as thousands of people prepare to march through Udine in anger at the hosting of a match they feel should not be played.

The Gaza ceasefire deal signed on Monday and a hostage and prisoner exchange between Israel and Hamas has done nothing to dampen the resolve of around 10,000 protestors who will descend on the small city in Italy’s far north-east amid a massive security operation.

Over 1,000 police officers and army personnel have been deployed while helicopters and drones will fly overhead to keep a watch on a march which was to begin at 5:30pm (1530 GMT) and be kept several kilometres away from the Bluenergy Stadium hosting the Group I fixture later.

The security operation has been designed to stop disorder and ensure no-one gets near the stadium or the Israel team.

Udine was quiet in the hours before the demonstration due to a series of restrictions on bars and restaurants.

READ ALSO: Israel Returns 45 Palestinian Bodies To Gaza —Hospital

Checkpoints have been put up in a ring around the ground, with spectators having to pass concrete barriers and metal detectors in order to watch a match which is key to Italy’s bid to ensure they qualify for a World Cup for the first time since 2014.

“We’re obviously happy that the bombing has stopped,” said Carolina from Udine Committee For Palestine, who said she would not give AFP her surname.

The association is one of five — including Palestinian communities in the regions of Veneto and Fruili-Venezia Giulia — that have organised Tuesday’s march and they will welcome more than 340 activist groups from all over Italy.

“Our message isn’t only about what was going on in Gaza but also that we oppose the politics of occupation and apartheid that affects all Palestinians,” she added.

The association asks that football’s world governing body FIFA exclude Israel from international competition, “as already done with Russia”, in response to the invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

Match overshadowed

Tuesday’s demonstration comes after a smaller one in Oslo on Saturday, when a few hundred people gathered in the Norwegian capital.

Police used tear gas to disperse activists outside the Ullevaal Stadium which was the scene of a 5-0 win for Norway against Israel.

The head of the Football Association of Norway (NFF), Lise Klaveness, recently said Israel should be sanctioned. Italy’s federation, in contrast, has not made such a call.

“The Norwegian FA has begun taking a position against the presence of Israeli teams, there’s a totally different type of behaviour across the board compared to what you see here (in Italy),” said the activist Carolina.

Tuesday’s protest has overshadowed a match which will go a long way to deciding Italy’s World Cup fate.

Italy sit second in their five-team group, six points behind leaders Norway and three ahead of third-placed Israel with a game in hand on both.

A win would secure Italy at least second place and a spot in the play-offs, with only first place giving direct qualification for next year’s finals in the United States, Canada and Mexico.

However Italy, who have three fixtures left to play, would need Norway to slip up against Estonia next month to have a realistic chance of finishing top, due to the 19-goal gap in goal difference between the two teams.

Cape Verde beat Eswatini 3-0 on Monday to secure a spot at the 2026 World Cup, booking their place in football’s global showpiece for the very first time.

The team from an archipelago off the coast of Senegal with about 550,000 inhabitants becomes the second-least populous nation to reach the World Cup, after Iceland, with just over 350,000, at Russia 2018.

Cape Verde won Group D with 23 points, four more than Cameroon, who hold the African record for World Cup appearances with eight. Cameroon were held 0-0 by Angola in Yaounde.

“Giving this happiness to these people is enormous… it’s a victory for all the Cape Verdean people and, above all, a victory for those who fought for our independence,” coach Pedro Brito told reporters.

“It’s a special moment in this celebration of the 50th anniversary of our independence.”

An emotional Vozinha, the 39-year-old goalkeeper, admitted, “I have been dreaming of this moment since I was a child. It’s time to celebrate.

“We knew we could do better (in the second half), and that’s it… it’s time to celebrate.”

After dominating the first half of the final round qualifier but seldom threatening to score, the Blue Sharks struck twice through Dailon Livramento and Willy Semedo in the first nine minutes after halftime before a 15,000 flag-waving crowd in Praia.

Livramento claimed his fourth goal of the 10-round qualifying campaign on 48 minutes, and Semedo struck six minutes later. Both goals came from close-range tap-ins.

READ ALSO: Kudus’ Goal Sends Ghana To 2026 World Cup

Cape Verde added a third goal in added time when Stopira, a substitute for Joao Paulo, pounced on a loose ball to score.

Cape Verde rely heavily on players born outside the nation to Cape Verdean parents or grandparents. Livramento was born in Rotterdam, and Semedo near Paris.

Eswatini had come to the 10-island archipelago with little attacking ambition, adopting a 5-4-1 formation in front of goalkeeper Khanyakwezwe Shabalala.

But after conceding twice, there was no way back for the team from southern Africa, who lost seven qualifiers and drew the other three.

“It’s too emotional. I embrace all the Cape Verdean people, at home and in our great diaspora,” said scorer Stopira.

Captain and striker Ryan Mendes added, “Honestly, I don’t have the words to describe this moment.” I’m very, very happy.”

Cape Verde spread the national team net wide with three starters based in Portugal and one each in the United States, Republic of Ireland, UAE, Romania, Russia, Netherlands, Turkey and Cyprus.

The remarkable qualification of Cape Verde came after they made a disappointing start to the campaign, drawing 0-0 at home with Angola and slumping to a 4-1 loss in Cameroon.

Those results left the Blue Sharks with four points from a possible nine, having won away to Eswatini in between.

But after the matchday three loss in Yaoundé, Cape Verde won five consecutive qualifiers, including crucial one-goal victories away to Angola and at home to Cameroon.

That left the islanders needing three points from their final two qualifiers this month, and a drama-filled 3-3 in Libya secured one before hosting Eswatini.

Last year, in the midst of the World Cup campaign, Cape Verde fared poorly in 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying, winning only one match of six and failing to secure a place at the tournament.

Despite flopping in a group from which Egypt and Botswana advanced, Cape Verdean officials retained faith in long-serving Brito.

After two stints as assistant coach of the national team and spells with five local clubs, the coach popularly known as Bubista took charge of Cape Verde in 2020.

The 55-year-old former centre-back, who represented his country 21 times, guided Cape Verde to successive AFCON tournaments, in Cameroon three years ago and Ivory Coast last year.

They reached the knockout phase each time, making a last-16 exit, then losing a quarter-final against South Africa on penalties after having four spot-kicks saved.

Moise Kean will miss Italy’s key World Cup qualifier against Israel after failing to recover from an ankle injury, the country’s football federation said on Monday.

“Tests carried out this morning showed that the Fiorentina attacker hasn’t fully recovered from the injury suffered to his right ankle during Saturday’s match with Estonia,” the FIGC said.

Kean’s absence is a blow for Italy coach Gennaro Gattuso as the 25-year-old has scored six times in his last four matches for his country, including the opening goal in the 3-1 win over Estonia over the weekend.

READ ALSO: Ancelotti Ready To Make World Cup History With Brazil

Kean netted in the fifth minute of the Group I fixture in Tallinn but had to be replaced by Pio Esposito shortly afterwards due to an awkward fall which caused an ankle sprain.

Italy sit second in the five-team group, six points behind leaders Norway and three ahead of third-placed Israel with a game in hand on both.

A win in Udine on Tuesday will secure Italy at least second place and a spot in the play-offs, with only first giving direct qualification for next year’s finals in the USA, Canada and Mexico.

However Italy, who have three fixtures left to play, would need Norway to slip up against Estonia next month to have any realistic chance of finishing top, due to the huge gap in goal difference between the Azzurri and Erling Haaland and company.

Italy host Norway in their final group fixture, at the San Siro on November 16.

Tuesday’s match has been overshadowed by the prospect of a pro-Palestinian demonstration, with as many as 10,000 people expected to take part in a march through Udine in protest at the staging of the fixture.

The demonstrations will be in response to Israel’s military operation in the Gaza Strip, which was sparked by the attack by Hamas militants on October 7, 2023, on nearby Israeli communities.

During massive strike action in support of the Palestinians earlier this month, demonstrators went to the Italian national team’s training centre in Florence to demand the match be called off.

No country has ever won the World Cup with a foreign-born coach but Carlo Ancelotti said Monday that there was “always a first time” as he eyes glory with Brazil.

The Italian became Brazil’s first overseas coach in six decades when he took over in May, and he helped the five-times champions punch their ticket for next summer’s World Cup.

Brazil face Japan in a friendly in Tokyo on Tuesday, fresh from a 5-0 hammering of South Korea in Seoul last week.

Ancelotti said he aims to create history for himself and his team at the World Cup in the United States, Canada, and Mexico.

“My goal is to give my best for the Brazil national team, to try to get them to perform at their best and to win the World Cup,” he said.

“Of course, no foreign-born coach has ever won the World Cup but there is always a first time in life.”

READ ALSO: Kudus’ Goal Sends Ghana To 2026 World Cup

Brazil made hard work of qualifying, finishing fifth in the South American table.

Ancelotti is their fourth coach since Tite stepped down following the quarter-final loss to Croatia at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.

Brazil sparkled against South Korea, with 18-year-old starlet Estevao scoring twice and Real Madrid pair Rodrygo and Vinicius Jr. also among the goals.

‘Jogo bonito’

Brazilian fans hailed the win as a return to “jogo bonito” but Ancelotti said there was more to his team than that.

“Brazilian players have the quality to play beautiful football but you have to think about what you mean by beautiful football,” he said.

“Brazilian players have individual quality but that is combined with teamwork and movement off the ball, and that’s very important in football.”

Brazil travelled to Asia without forward Neymar, 33, who was ruled out of action until at least November with a thigh injury.

Time is running out for Brazil’s record goalscorer to force his way back into the squad before the World Cup.

Ancelotti said there were no questions over Neymar’s quality.

“If Neymar is in good condition then of course he can fit into the national team,” he said.

“If Neymar is fit then he can play in any team in the world.”

Brazil have kept four clean sheets in their five games since Ancelotti took over, having been porous at the back before then.

“He’s Italian, so he likes his team to defend well,” said their Newcastle midfielder Bruno Guimaraes.

“Especially at the World Cup, the teams that don’t concede goals win the title, so it’s essential that we defend well.”

Japan were the first team to book their place at next year’s tournament after cruising through Asian qualifying.

They have never beaten Brazil in 13 attempts and are without several injured players including Brighton winger Kaoru Mitoma and Liverpool midfielder Wataru Endo.

Coach Hajime Moriyasu said defeating Brazil would give them the confidence to make an impact in North America.

“We want to win and to grow as a team and give everything for this challenge,” he said.

“Brazil are one of the top teams in the world and we respect them, but we have players who are playing in Europe and getting experience there.”