Why Super Eagles may not qualify for 2030 World Cup - Stadium expert raises concern for Nigeria

Renowned stadium construction expert Ebi Egbe has warned that poor playing surfaces across Africa could become a major obstacle to the Super Eagles' hopes of qualifying for the 2030 FIFA World Cup.

Egbe believes Nigeria's recent encouraging performances under head coach Eric Chelle may not fully reflect the challenges the team will face when competitive qualification matches begin across the continent.

According to Egbe, the quality of pitches used during international friendlies has helped the Super Eagles perform at a high level.

"The Nigerian national team coach Eric Chelle appears to be making good progress in his preparations and friendly matches for one key reason: most of our elite foreign-based players are playing on quality pitches that suit their style of football," Egbe said.

He added, "In these friendlies, they have not had to deal with the transition challenges that often come with poor playing surfaces."

Egbe warned that the conditions encountered during World Cup and Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers are often vastly different from those experienced in friendly matches.

"Pitch conditions across the continent can significantly affect the speed, movement, and technical quality of the game. Many of Nigeria's star players have been developed and conditioned to perform on world-class surfaces that support quick, possession-based football," he explained.

Having overseen the construction and renovation of pitches for several major Nigerian clubs, including Enyimba and Remo Stars, Egbe stressed that football success is increasingly tied to infrastructure investment.

He warned that failure to address these issues could severely impact Nigeria's chances of returning to the World Cup after missing out on the 2026 tournament.

"Without quality pitches and training facilities that support elite performance, Nigeria's chances of qualifying for the next FIFA World Cup could easily become a 50/50 proposition, regardless of the talent available to the coach," he cautioned.