Experienced Nigerian midfielder Ogenyi Onazi believes that the Super Eagles have every chance of qualifying for the 2026 FIFA World Cup following their recent string of strong performances to earn themselves a play-offs spot, Footynaija.com reports.
Anticipation is steadily building ahead of the Super Eagles’ CAF World Cup play-offs semifinal against Gabon, set to take place in Morocco on November 13.
Nigeria endured a largely frustrating qualifying campaign but earned another shot at fighting for a World Cup ticket after that particularly impressive performance against Benin last week.
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To reach the World Cup, the Super Eagles must first overcome Gabon before facing the winner of the other semi-final between Cameroon and DR Congo.
Victory in that final would earn Nigeria a spot in the inter-confederation play-offs, where they would compete alongside five other nations for one of the two remaining tickets to the tournament.
While the path ahead appears complex, Onazi, a veteran of the 2014 and 2018 World Cups, remains optimistic. He believes the current squad possesses the hunger, passion and determination needed to seize this second chance at qualification.
“I believe the team will qualify because of recent events. There were a lot of doubts in the minds of Nigerians, but this has given us another chance at qualification,” the former Lazio midfielder said in an interview with Footy Africa.
“A lot went wrong at the start of the qualifiers, but now, with the passion and determination the team has shown, you can see they understand what it means to play at the World Cup. The players have shown commitment, and I believe that drive will take them through.”
Qualification for next summer’s Mundial will see the Super Eagles avoid back-to-back absences at football’s biggest tournament after missing out the 2022 edition which took place in Qatar.
