'We will not be at the World Cup' - Ex-Super Eagles star urges Chelle's team to rebuild ahead of 2030 World Cup

Former Nigeria international Moses Kpakor has urged the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) and new head coach Eric Chelle to use the March friendlies as the starting point for a comprehensive rebuild of the Nigeria national football team.

The NFF confirmed that Nigeria will participate in a four-nation tournament in Amman, Jordan, during the next FIFA international window. The competition will feature Iran, Jordan, and Costa Rica.

Nigeria will open their campaign on March 27, 2026, against Iran at the Amman International Stadium before facing hosts Jordan on March 31 at the same venue.

Speaking to Footy-Africa, Kpakor said the tournament presents the perfect opportunity to integrate younger players and gradually phase out ageing members of the squad.

Nigeria’s failure to qualify for the last two FIFA World Cups, he noted, makes long-term planning essential.

He said, “I think we are in a good place with the Super Eagles, and I expect that we should use this to start our rebuilding since we will not be at the World Cup. We had a relatively good tournament at the last Africa Cup of Nations, and we need to build on that by integrating new players with the view of getting to the World Cup in 2030.”

“I believe it is time we plan properly and set things in motion with 2030 in mind. It is important that we blend both the old and new players to get good team chemistry. I saw some young players at AFCON, like Tochukwu Nnadi and others. Now will be the right time to start properly integrating them into the team.

“While others are preparing for the World Cup, we should start preparing our own team for the 2030 World Cup qualifiers and other competitions. I am happy these friendlies are in a tournament format, and I hope the NFF can use it to improve the team. I also hope to see some fresh new faces in the team when the list is announced.”

Nigeria fails to qualify for the 2026 World Cup, marking their second consecutive absence from the tournament.