Follow Us on Google
Following the avoidable absence of Nigeria’s Super Eagles in the 2022 and 2026 editions of the World Cup, many fans and critics of the round leather game have called for a comprehensive overhaul of Nigeria’s football. Till date, the Super Eagles have made six appearances at the World Cup. They include USA 1994, France 1998, Korea/Japan 2002, South Africa 2010, Brazil 2014 and Russia 2018. Even the world football governing body, FIFA, is worried about the absence of Nigeria in the last two editions of the Mundial.
The football body stated on its website recently that Nigeria has the talent to qualify for the 2030 FIFA World Cup but must build a more stable and effective football structure to return to the Mundial. FIFA stated this Wednesday while reviewing the Super Eagles’ World Cup history and their failure to qualify for the 2026 tournament. FIFA noted that Nigeria has reached the Round of 16 in three of its six FIFA World Cup appearances but has failed to qualify for the last two editions. Nigeria reached the knock out stage at the 1994, 1998 and 2014 tournaments but was unfortunately absent in the 2022 and 2026 editions.
We recall that during the 2026 qualifying campaign, the three-time African champions finished second behind South Africa in Group C of the African qualifiers. However, the Super Eagles’ point accumulation earned it a spot in the African playoffs, but the lifeline to qualify to the final FIFA payoffs was bungled when it lost to the DR Congo 3-2 in a penalty shootout after playing out a 2-2 draw. DR Congo went ahead to qualify for the World Cup after defeating the Reggae Boys of Jamaica in the FIFA playoff.
Whether the 2030 World Cup to be jointly hosted by Spain, Portugal and Morocco, will be on the new 48-team format or 64 as being contemplated by FIFA President Gianni Infantino, there is need for Nigeria to be represented at the global football showpiece. For the Super Eagles to make it, the current Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) must be disbanded and overhauled. We say this because the politics of Nigeria’s football can account for why Nigeria was absent in the last two editions of the World Cup. Also, the government should investigate how the NFF used the funds from FIFA on the 2026 World Cup. We don’t need a repeat of that unfortunate episode. The NFF should be peopled with those who understand football. The new NFF should have some of our best ex-internationals as it is the practice in other countries. It will consist of those who understand the commercial side of soccer.
Other News
The federal government should establish a Presidential Task Force on 2030 World Cup that will work for the qualification of the Super Eagles for the Mundial. In fact, the preparation for the global football fiesta must begin now. There is even no time to waste. Qualifying for the next World Cup is a task that must be done.
Let the government settle all outstanding issues with the coaching crew and the players. Government must invest so much in our football. This is, indeed, the time to discover new talents. Some of the most outstanding players at the 2026 World Cup, like Lamin Yamal and Pau Cubarsi of Spain, are just 19 years old. Some tired legs in the Super Eagles should be retired while young players are included in the team. The team already has plenty of Diaspora players. They should be complemented with players from the national league.
Nigeria has many talented players in most football clubs in the world today. We missed the two last editions of the World Cup not necessarily because of lack of talents. We lost because of poor administration of the nation’s football and the politics of the NFF. Apart from impressing at the last two AFCON tournaments, the team has produced two of the last three African Footballer of the Year. Victor Osimhen won the 2023 edition of the CAF Best Player Award while Ademola Lookman repeated the feat in 2024. The team also boasts of highly rated players in other departments of the game.
The NFF should sit up. There is no doubt that interference in team selection has contributed in reducing the chances of the Super Eagles to reach greater heights in football. Stability in the coaching crew is vital to having a formidable Super Eagles. Nigeria must not miss the 2030 World Cup to be jointly hosted by Spain, Morocco, and Portugal. Time to start the preparation is now. We should also take the FIFA Under-17 World Cup tournament seriously. We used to dominate at this level, but have slacked in recent times. We call for more private sector investments in Nigerian football.
