Super Eagles not good enough for World Cup - Says Ex-Nigeria forward

Former Nigeria international Victor Obinna Nsofor has delivered a harsh assessment of the Super Eagles following their failure to qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, insisting the team simply did not deserve a place at football’s biggest tournament.

The ex-Inter Milan forward made the comments while reacting to Nigeria’s disappointing qualifying campaign, which ended in heartbreak after the Super Eagles lost in the playoff stage to DR Congo.

Nigeria’s absence from the 2026 World Cup means the country will miss back-to-back editions of the tournament for the first time in decades.

Speaking during an interview with Brila FM, Obinna argued that qualification is earned on merit and not reputation, stressing that Nigeria’s poor performances throughout the campaign reflected the team’s true level.

“If you didn’t qualify for the World Cup, it means you are not good enough to play in the World Cup. That is the truth,” Obinna said.

The former striker, who represented Nigeria at the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa, insisted that football fans and officials must stop searching for excuses and instead confront the reality of the team’s shortcomings.

According to him, several football nations with rich histories would face the same criticism if they failed to qualify for the tournament.

“If Brazil didn’t qualify for the World Cup, it shows you aren’t good enough to play in it. It’s the truth,” he added.

Nigeria’s qualifying journey was plagued by inconsistency from the opening stages of the campaign.

The Super Eagles struggled to build momentum under former head coaches Jose Peseiro and Finidi George, dropping valuable points in matches they were widely expected to win. Defensive lapses, tactical uncertainty, and a lack of cohesion within the squad became recurring problems throughout the qualifiers.

The Nigeria Football Federation later appointed Eric Chelle in a bid to revive the campaign. Although the Malian coach managed to stabilise performances and guide the team into the playoff stage, the late resurgence ultimately proved insufficient.

Nigeria defeated Gabon in the playoff semi-final but suffered a painful elimination against DR Congo after a tense penalty shootout. The Congolese side later secured qualification by overcoming Jamaica in the final playoff round.

Obinna also rejected claims that DR Congo were fortunate to qualify, insisting the Central African side deserved their place at the tournament because they delivered when it mattered most.

“DR Congo beat us then beat Jamaica. Will you say they are not good enough to play at the World Cup?” he questioned.

He added, “They are good enough because they played in the qualifiers and now they are in the World Cup. That’s the fact. Let’s not paint things left and right.”