Abuja: South Africa will return to the Fifa World Cup for the first time since hosting the tournament in 2010 after narrowly claiming top spot in their qualifying group ahead of Nigeria and Benin. Benin, who were chasing their first-ever World Cup appearance, entered the final round of matches at the summit of Group C, leading South Africa by two points and Nigeria by three.

According to BBC, Benin, led by former Super Eagles coach Gernot Rohr, suffered a 4-0 defeat away in Uyo. Victor Osimhen's hat-trick for Nigeria saw the Cheetahs slip to third place, below Nigeria on goal difference. The defeat was compounded by a 3-0 forfeit imposed by Fifa for fielding an ineligible player in their earlier victory over Lesotho, which had already dropped Benin from the top of the group.

Hugo Broos' South African team let two more points slip when they failed to beat Zimbabwe in a nominal away game in Durban, but Benin's loss in the West African derby gave South Africa a chance to secure their World Cup spot against the Wasps. Meanwhile, the final automatic qualifying spots from Africa will be decided between Senegal or DR Congo from Group B and Ivory Coast or Gabon from Group F.

Nigeria still has a chance to reach the World Cup through an arduous play-off route involving up to four additional matches. The Super Eagles secured one of four spots in next month's African play-offs, with the winner advancing to Fifa's inter-continental qualifier scheduled for March, which will determine the last two qualifiers for the expanded 48-team World Cup in Canada, Mexico, and the United States.

The Super Eagles' hopes were kept alive by Victor Osimhen, whose absence due to injury had coincided with Nigeria's struggles. Under a series of coaching changes, Nigeria's talented squad failed to win any of the five games played without the Galatasaray striker. New coach Eric Chelle managed to stabilize the team, leading them to a crucial victory over Rwanda and a nervy win over Lesotho, setting up the decisive match against Benin.

Osimhen's clinical performance against Benin proved pivotal, as he scored a hat-trick to secure Nigeria's play-off spot. His influence will be crucial for Nigeria's play-off campaign next month as they aim to secure a place in the World Cup finals next year.