It was a disappointing end to Nigeria's World Cup qualification as the Super Eagles lost on penalties to Congo last night. It has not been an easy qualification for Nigeria, as the team failed to secure the top spot in their group table but were able to finish second, which earned them a spot in the CAF playoff, consisting of two knockout matches to be played. The knockout from the CAF playoff is not a shock to me because I was already expecting the team to get knocked out of the competition.
Nigeria not qualifying the normal way was the endgame for me, as I already see the qualification matches ahead as just prolonging the inevitable, which is that the team will not be participating in the 2026 World Cup next year. There are some posts on X that I have seen from some people who are not Nigerian, shocked that the team didn't make it to the World Cup with the quality of players in the squad. Nigeria has one of the most talked about strikers in modern day football, which is Victor Osimhen, who made the top 9 Ballon d'Or list in the 2024 Ballon d'Or ceremony just a head ago and also has players like Lookman, Iwobi, Chukwueze and many more talented players.
It's quite sad that Nigeria didn't make the World Cup with the quality of players, but there is more to this team not making it as there are internal issues with the players and NFF( Nigeria Football Federation). There have been corruption claims and irregularities of players, both the male and female teams, not being compensated enough by the Federation. Honestly, I am not surprised because the level of corruption that has eaten the NFF has been going on for many years. The appropriate authorities that should be looking into these matters are turning a blind eye to the situation.
Nigeria's football is underdeveloped, and that is the truth, and I am not going to sugarcoat it because it is the truth. The local leagues in Nigeria speak loudly on how underdeveloped the country's football system is which is quite sad because a lot of these players who made it big had to pass through a tough route to make it where they are today. The NFF needs to be thoroughly scrutinised and a lot of people in that federation are not supposed to have a job with all the mismanagement that has been going on for years. On the bright side, many people are now calling out the NFF, and even the players are making their stands, which is good.
Nigeria not qualifying for the World Cup is not the end of the world, as now the team can focus on the AFCON next year and go all out to win the competition. It will be a good challenge for the Super Eagles and I look forward to seeing them bring the trophy home next year. So that will be all for now. Thanks for stopping by and have a good day.