As the 2026 FIFA World Cup unfolds across the United States, Canada and Mexico, Nigeria’s absence remains a big talking point among African football followers, Footynaija reports.
The Super Eagles, despite boasting stars such as Victor Osimhen, Samuel Chukwueze and Ademola Lookman, failed to secure a place at the expanded 48-team tournament. Africa has ten representatives at this year’s competition, but the three-time African champions are watching from home after another disappointing qualifying campaign.
Former Nigeria coach Gernot Rohr believes the damage was done at the beginning of the qualifiers. The former Bayern Munich defender, who guided the Super Eagles to the 2018 World Cup, argued that Nigeria dropped too many points before finding any momentum.
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“I also think about how Nigeria hasn’t participated since 2018,” Rohr told Footy Africa.
“I believe this is because when we faced them in the group stage, even though they had great individual players with immense quality, they simply didn’t play like a team early on and dropped too many points.”
Nigeria finished second in a group containing South Africa, Benin, Rwanda, Lesotho and Zimbabwe. Although they suffered only one defeat, a series of costly draws left them trailing South Africa by a single point. Their hopes of reaching the tournament through the playoffs were then ended by DR Congo.
The qualification campaign was hit by instability, with Jose Peseiro, Finidi George and Eric Chelle all taking charge at different stages. Nigeria drew their opening three matches, lost to Benin in the fourth, and only recorded their first victory after Chelle’s appointment.
Rohr also expressed disappointment that some of Africa’s biggest stars are absent from the global stage.
“It is truly a pity that major players like Osimhen, Chukwueze, and Lookman are not here to be seen. For me, it’s a pity.”
The Super Eagles have now missed two consecutive World Cups and will be determined to avoid a third straight failure when qualification for the 2030 tournament begins.
