Super Eagles striker Victor Osimhen is extra motivated heading into this month’s 2026 World Cup qualification games against Rwanda and Zimbabwe as the in-form striker is ‘desperate’ to avoid missing out on a place in football’s biggest tournament, Footynaija.com reports.
Nigeria suffered disappointment on this front when they missed out on a spot in the 2022 World Cup held in Qatar. That year, the Super Eagles fell short in a qualification play-off game against fierce rivals Ghana with the Black Stars progressing and going to feature in the mundial.
In this qualifying campaign, the Super Eagles have endured a winless start in Group C, recording three draws and suffering one defeat in their first four matches, with Osimhen sidelined due to injury.
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With Nigeria four points behind group leaders Rwanda ahead of their trip to Kigali to face the Wasps on March 19 before hosting bottom side Zimbabwe three days later, Osimhen objective is quite clear.
“It’s a dream of every footballer to play at the World Cup and with our situation in the group I am desperate, like other players, to make it to the 2026 tournament,” Osimhen told BBC Sport Africa.
“We suffered a big disappointment in 2022 and we simply can’t let it happen again to us, the country and our generation. You don’t want to finish your career with the regrets of not playing at the World Cup. That is not what I want for myself.”
Time to get back on track
The current crop of Nigerian players are arguably some of the most talented in the nation’s history. The likes of Osimhen and Ademola Lookman have become household names in European football while players like Victor Boniface, Alex Iwobi, Ola Aina, Calvin Bassey and Wilfred Ndidi are also pulling their weight overseas.
New Super Eagles boss Eric Chelle has been charged with harnessing and unleashing the evident potential of the Nigeria national team and Osimhen is relishing the opportunity to right past wrongs and get the Super Eagles’ qualifying campaign back on track when they face Rwanda and Zimbabwe.
“There’s a new manager now and we are desperately looking forward to the game against Rwanda to try to correct all the previous mistakes we’ve made and put ourselves in a better position to qualify,” Osimhen continued.
“People say we have a talented generation but we can only confirm this talent when we play in a World Cup like those before us.
“I was sad, like my team-mates, to miss out on Qatar and our fans didn’t even understand how much it affected us.
“This is why we must correct the previous mistakes by giving everything to our country, our new coach and prove ourselves as being worthy.”
