Nigeria’s Super Eagles have slipped into a full crisis after losing on penalties to DR Congo, a result that confirmed they will miss the 2026 World Cup, Footynaija.com reports.
The defeat also sealed a second straight World Cup miss for the first time since 1990. Fans felt the shock, and the Nigerian Football Federation apologised, but everyone can see that the issues run far deeper than one bad night.
The team has carried a long list of structural and managerial issues. Players have raised concerns over delayed or unpaid bonuses, and eveb held back from training to make their point.
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The federal government and CAF have provided strong funding, yet the NFF has been accused of failing to keep player welfare at the centre of its plans. Coaching changes come too often, and the team jumps from one idea to the next without a steady plan.
All of this has chipped away at Nigeria’s old aura. There was a time when African teams stepped onto the pitch already worried about the pace and power of the Super Eagles. That fear is gone.
The NFF has reacted late to problems, annoyed players and journalists, and let supporters feel lost. Collins Okinyo, who once worked as a media officer at CAF, summed it up well in report by DW.
As he puts it, “The dynamics of African football have changed and are still changing. Teams are improving, and they are no longer scared of Nigeria.”
He added that reputation alone no longer wins games. It was once enough to step onto the pitch and impose presence, but those days have passed.
“It is unthinkable for a team like Nigeria to miss a second World Cup. It is devastating for Nigerian fans and sad for African fans in general, but they have only themselves to blame,” he said.
His point stings because it carries truth. The problems that cost Nigeria in 2022 were never fixed.
“When a team like Nigeria does not qualify for the first time then something has to be done, but when they missed out at the 2022 World Cup, nothing seemed to change,” he pushed the point again.
That line captures the frustration of many supporters who feel the same way. Okinyo also touched on the players.
According to him, “When players are not getting paid or think they are not getting what they should be getting, that causes all kinds of problems.”
