It will be a shame if we don’t make it - Alex Iwobi confident Super Eagles will qualify for World Cup

Alex Iwobi has expressed strong optimism about Nigeria's chances of qualifying for the 2026 FIFA World Cup as they prepare for their playoff clash against Gabon.

The Super Eagles are set to face the Panthers in a semi-final playoff match in Rabat on Thursday, November 13. Nigeria reached this stage after overcoming a difficult start to their qualifying campaign.

Iwobi believes the squad possesses the necessary talent to secure a place at the prestigious global tournament.

"We’ve managed to rescue ourselves from the dead. We know we have the players and the abilities to compete against any other country in the world," Iwobi told CNN.

"We have last year’s African best player (Ademola Lookman), the year before that (Victor Osimhen). It’ll be a shame if we don’t make it, but we have a lot of confidence. We have to prove it to ourselves."

The Super Eagles are now preparing for the high-stakes knockout rounds in November, where they will face Gabon in the semi-final.

A win would advance them to the final and a potential spot in the inter-confederation playoffs as they aim to return to the world stage after missing the 2022 tournament in Qatar.