‘Nigeria will be a big miss’ - John Terry claims Super Eagles’ World Cup absence a major blow

The Super Eagles of Nigeria missed out on the World Cup, marking their second consecutive absence.

The team failed to secure first place in their group, which had South Africa, Benin, Zimbabwe, Lesotho, and Rwanda.

The failure to qualify for the World Cup has led Super Eagles captain Wilfred Ndidi to voice his profound disappointment.

Speaking at a virtual media event for SuperSport, Terry expressed his regret that the three-time African champions would not be part of the expanded 48-team competition in the United States, Mexico, and Canada. 

The former England defender highlighted Nigeria's rich footballing heritage and individual talent as qualities that would be sorely missed.

"Nigeria will be a big miss," Terry stated. "This is a World Cup for participants who haven’t had the opportunity to play in the tournament. 

“I would have loved to see the top team, like Nigeria, be there because they’ve got some great individuals."

Meanwhile, the Super Eagles have had an impressive run since their World Cup disappointment, going unbeaten in 12 games.

However, the run came to an end following a narrow 2-1 loss to Portugal in a friendly match before the start of the summer tournament.