Nigeria Misses Out on Another World Cup

For the next six weeks, millions of football fans will be glued to their TVs and streaming devices to watch the World Cup, organized by FIFA. The tournament kicked off in Mexico last Thursday, which is co-hosting with the United States and Canada. In the opening match, Mexico beat South Africa 2-0.

This World Cup is different. It has grown from 32 teams to 48 teams, leading to 104 matches from June 11 to July 19. The final match will be in the United States. Spain is the defending champion and one of the favorites to win again.

Sadly, the Super Eagles of Nigeria are missing from this World Cup. They failed to qualify from Africa Group C, which included South Africa, Benin, Lesotho, Rwanda, and Zimbabwe. South Africa topped the group with 18 points, just one point ahead of Nigeria's 17. Other African countries in the World Cup are Egypt, Ghana, Senegal, Cape Verde, Morocco, Ivory Coast, Algeria, Tunisia, and the Democratic Republic of Congo, which qualified through intercontinental play-offs.

Pele called it “the beautiful game.” It unites people from different cultures and backgrounds. Nigeria's absence from this football event, especially with 10 African teams participating, raises serious questions that need answers.

Ironically, former President Donald Trump affected the spirit of the tournament before it even started. His government denied entry to Somalian referee Omar Artan, officials from various teams, and fans worldwide. High ticket prices also mean many fans cannot attend matches to support their teams.

Since they could not qualify, the Super Eagles have been playing friendly matches against teams like Poland, Portugal, Jordan, and Iran to improve their skills. Their last match was on Wednesday, where Portugal, led by Cristiano Ronaldo, defeated them 2-1.

This is the second consecutive World Cup that the Super Eagles have failed to qualify for. This shows how far Nigerian football has fallen and highlights the poor management of the sport.

When the Super Eagles first played in the USA in 1994, they reached the knockout stage and were the talk of the tournament. They were ranked fifth in the world. They made it past the group stage again in 1998, but since then, their performance has declined. They have been eliminated in four subsequent editions at the group stage. We hoped that the football administrators and players learned from missing the 2022 World Cup. But, sadly, they have repeated the same mistakes, as Winston Churchill warned.

Nigeria’s troubles began when coach Jesse Peseiro resigned after losing in the 2023 AFCON finals in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire. There was no immediate replacement. Finidi George, Peseiro's assistant, took over on an acting basis. When he finally got the job, Daniel Amokachi was named his assistant. Amokachi declined the offer without explanation.

The results during the Group C qualifiers showed the consequences of this chaos. Nigeria drew 1-1 with South Africa and lost 2-1 to Benin. Finidi resigned in June 2024, knowing the team’s fate was sealed. Austin Eguaveon took over temporarily until Eric Chelle became the new coach in January 2025. By then, Nigeria had already lost the chance to qualify, relying on South Africa to slip up, which did not happen.

We lament Nigeria's absence from this World Cup as it is a missed chance for national unity amidst our ethnic and regional divides. Those in charge of our football should recognize the potential of this game to unite the country. It should be treated with the seriousness it deserves.

Football brings out talent, helps lift youth out of poverty, and creates wealth, as shown by the money in the sport from player salaries to media rights. Nigeria has lost a lot because the Super Eagles are not in the tournament. But with the right approach, we can turn things around and ensure we qualify for the 2030 World Cup.

Unfortunately, for many, the excitement of the World Cup has been tainted by Trump’s strict border policies. One notable incident involved referee Artan, who faced 11 hours of questioning at Miami airport before being denied entry, despite having a valid visa.

Ruud Gullit, a Dutch football legend, criticized FIFA President Gianni Infantino for allowing such issues to affect the tournament. He called for Infantino to step down, saying, "A World Cup should unite people. Instead, this tournament is becoming a symbol of division, political disputes, travel restrictions, and administrative failures." He is right.

Infantino has dragged the tournament into controversy, showing a lack of support for those affected by Trump’s policies. He argues that FIFA cannot control borders or allow entry into countries. But FIFA should have chosen a host that would not create such issues for those who enjoy the game. Infantino has set a worrying precedent that should not be accepted in the future.