After a dismal showing in the World Cup qualifying round, the Nigerian sports ministry has demanded answers.
When the national football team of Nigeria failed miserably in the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifications, the sports ministry of the country demanded an explanation. After four games, the Super Eagles are still winless after a disheartening 2-1 loss to Benin.
Nigeria has three points out of a potential twelve and is in fifth place in Group C, despite drawing Lesotho, Zimbabwe, and South Africa. Their prospects of qualifying for the World Cup finals, which will be co-hosted by Mexico, Canada, and the United States, are greatly diminished by this position.
The Minister of Sports Development of Nigeria, Senator John Owan Enoh, expressed the displeasure of the country’s ardent fans. We have dedicated and enthusiastic supporters,” he said. They should be informed about the reasons behind our national team’s underwhelming performance since the last Africa Cup of Nations. A thorough technical report outlining the team’s poor performance and explaining why there should not be consequences for these results was required by the minister from the Nigerian Football Federation (NFF).
Nigerians are already feeling the effects of their country’s disillusionment over their 2022 World Cup qualification, which they lost in the play-offs against Ghana on away goals. Under Jose Peseiro’s tenure as coach, the squad made it all the way to the final of the Africa Cup of Nations, however they were defeated by the hosts, Ivory Coast. After replacing Peseiro in April, Finidi George has failed to turn around the Super Eagles’ fortunes. Since November 2021, when he took charge, the squad has gone winless in their last seven World Cup qualifiers.
A Handful of Slip-Ups in the Match Against Benin
The Ivorian national song was played instead of the correct one, getting the Benin game off to a bad start. This blunder occurred after President Bola Tinubu recently decided to play the national anthem again, despite the fact that the Abidjan event organizers were reportedly unaware of this. The NFF was so unhappy that it threatened to stop the game until the right anthem was played.
Jodel Dossou and Steve Mounie of Benin scored to change the game, even though Raphael Onyedika had taken an early lead. The squad returned to Nigeria and, after announcing their unhappiness with the previous games, promised to fight hard for the rest of the qualifying campaign in a social media post.
Star striker Victor Osimhen has been out with an injury for all four of the team’s Group C matches, which has been a major setback. The team’s offensive prowess remains undimmed, though, as they have scored just four goals in their last ten games.
Impending Difficulties and an Uncertain Prognosis
March 2025 is when the African World Cup qualifiers are next slated to take place, followed by September, October, and November 2025 for the Nations Cup qualifiers. With both fans and media putting pressure on Finidi George, his future as head coach is unclear.
Key players including Semi Ajayi, Ademola Lookman, Alex Iwobi, and Calvin Bassey were late in arriving owing to an industrial strike in Nigeria, which spoiled the build-up to the recent qualifiers. There are doubts over George’s selection choices and tactical judgments regarding the inclusion of these players in the starting lineup versus South Africa, considering their late arrival.
How Fans Reacted and What It Means for the Future
The three-time continental champion Super Eagles fan base is in shock at their team’s play. Emmanuel Amuneke, according to many fans, would have made a more fitting coach than Finidi George. There have been passionate debates in the press conferences following matches because of the intense scrutiny of the decision-making, tactics, and formation.
The loss against Benin, which was engineered by Gernot Rohr, the former coach of Nigeria, has only served to heighten the controversy surrounding George’s hiring. Others want him out of there because they think Jose Peseiro should have been able to stay on after the squad finished second in the Nations Cup, while others want more time to fix the problem.
While fans eagerly await the sports ministry’s decision, one thing is crystal clear: Nigeria absolutely cannot miss the expanded 2026 World Cup. Failure to qualify for the World Cup for the second year in a row would be a devastating blow to the national pride and football legacy of Nigeria, as the fans view participation in the tournament as a rightful inheritance.
