Rwanda head coach Adel Amrouche believes the Super Eagles should be eyeing a quarterfinals run at the 2026 FIFA World Cup instead of struggling to clinch a ticket to the Mundial, Footynaija.com reports.
The Super Eagles are facing a serious possibility of missing the FIFA World Cup for a second consecutive time after enduring an uncharacteristically disappointing qualification campaign.
Placed in Group C alongside South Africa, Rwanda, Lesotho, Benin and Zimbabwe, the Super Eagles were widely tipped to dominate their group with ease.
However, what looked like a straightforward qualification path on paper has morphed into a gruelling journey of lackluster performances and dropped points.
The Super Eagles have managed just three wins from nine matches, drawing five and losing one. Two of those victories have come against Amrouche’s own Rwanda, who also find themselves struggling in Group C.
As things stand, Nigeria occupy third place in the group with one game left to play. The Super Eagles trail leaders Benin by three points and South Africa by two, an underwhelming position Amrouche claims they wouldn’t be in, if he was their coach.
“If I were coaching a team like the Super Eagles, with the quality of players that they have, my target would be to reach the quarter-finals of the FIFA World.Cup, at the very minimum. Qualifying for the World Cup should not be the issue,” Amrouche said.
To keep their World Cup dream alive, the Super Eagles must beat Benin in their final fixture and hope Rwanda can take points off South Africa in Mbombela on Tuesday, October 14.
Anything less than that would confirm their absence from the 2026 tournament, a bitter blow for a nation that once stood as one Africa’s powerhouses on the international stage.
