FIFA Away Goals Rule And What Nigeria Must Do To Qualify

Nigeria host Ghana in a win or bust 2022 FIFA world cup qualifier with the away goals rule featuring prominently.

The match will hold in Abuja and will determine one of Africa’s representatives between two eternal rivals.

A repeat of the barren draw from the first leg can either send Ghana through or take the game into extra time.

What happens if both teams tie on aggregate?

If Nigeria and Ghana score the same number of away goals, it will proceed into extra time.

Furthermore, if necessary, a penalty-kick shootout comes into play.

Also, according to the FIFA rule book, any goals from the away team during the extra time will give them an edge.

Despite scrapping the away goals tiebreaker by European body UEFA for its club competitions in 2021-22, the rule would still apply for the African FIFA World Cup qualifying fixtures, including any two-leg playoffs around the world.

The FIFA official World Cup qualifying rulebook states that if two-leg fixtures tie on aggregate goals at the end of the second match, it reiterates the use of away goals as the first tiebreaker in any fixture of the FIFA world cup qualifiers.

Just like the old UEFA Champions League away goal rule, away goals will count as double for the visiting team.

FIFA Away Goals Rule: The World cup qualification Scenarios

Nigeria qualifies if they win in 90mins or extra time.

A draw result other than 0-0 means Ghana are through to the world cup.

A 0-0 result takes the game into extra time.

The winner of the Penalties will go through to the World cup.