Former Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) president Amaju Pinnick has stated that the Super Eagles would have qualified for the 2026 FIFA World Cup if he were still leading Nigerian football.
Speaking on Sunday Oliseh’s Global Football Insights show, Pinnick expressed deep disappointment that Nigeria has struggled in the qualifiers despite the tournament’s expanded format, which allows up to ten African teams to reach the finals in the USA, Canada, and Mexico.
“With ten African teams qualifying, there is really no basis for Nigeria not to be among them,” Pinnick said.
2018 World Cup Qualification Recalled
The former NFF president referenced Nigeria’s impressive qualification for the 2018 World Cup, describing it as one of the most challenging groups in African football history.
“In 2018, we had the toughest group ever. If I were there, definitely, Nigeria would have qualified,” he stated.
Pinnick highlighted that Nigeria topped a group containing Algeria, Cameroon, and Zambia, all recent AFCON champions, and still qualified with two matches to spare.
“Nigeria was the least considered, but we qualified and we didn’t sleep,” he added.
Reflection on 2022 World Cup Exit
Pinnick also revisited Nigeria’s painful exit from the 2022 World Cup qualifiers, where the Super Eagles were eliminated by Ghana on the away-goals rule.
“We didn’t lose that tie; we were eliminated on away goals,” he said, stressing that the margin was extremely slim.
A Missed Opportunity
Pinnick’s comments underline what many Nigerian football fans see as a missed opportunity, especially with Africa enjoying its largest-ever World Cup representation.
As the Super Eagles continue their qualification campaign, his remarks have reignited debate over leadership, planning, and execution within Nigerian football administration.
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