Nigeria is proud of its record as the only African team to reach the World Cup knockout stage on three occasions, but is now struggling to come to terms with its second consecutive exit from the tournament.
The Super Eagles were ineffective during qualification against lesser football playing nations such as Lesotho, Zimbabwe, Rwanda and South Africa, winning only four out of 10 games. This led to the playoffs – which ended with a defeat to the Democratic Republic of the Congo on 16 November.
“The dynamics of African football have changed and are still changing. The teams are improving, and they are no longer afraid of Nigeria,” Collins Okino, a former media officer for the Confederation for African Football (CAF), told DW.
“Still, it is unimaginable for a team like Nigeria to miss another World Cup. It is devastating for Nigerian fans and sad for African fans in general, but they (Nigeria) only have themselves to blame.”
talent is not enough
This came despite the fact that Africa’s direct allocation of places for the 2026 World Cup is nine – an increase of five from 2022. Yet, the team representing the country of 240 million and led by star strikers Victor Osimhen and Ademola Lookman, who were named African Players of the Year in 2023 and 2024 respectively, failed to get the job done.
“The defeat to DR Congo in the Africa play-off final in Rabat on Sunday remains a moment of deep sadness for Nigerian football,” the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) said in a statement.
“For a country where the Super Eagles serve as a symbol of unity, hope and collective pride, missing out on the World Cup for the second consecutive time is a disappointment of immense and emotional depth.”
Many have placed the blame squarely on the NFF – and Okinyo is no exception.
“When a team like Nigeria fails to qualify for the first time, something has to be done, but when they missed out on the 2022 World Cup, nothing changed.”
lack of continuity
There is much to criticize. Nigeria’s qualification campaign saw four coaches in charge. José Peseiro left the post at the end of his contract in March 2024, along with his assistant Finidi Jorge. The pre-match international lasted only five weeks amid reports of chaos behind the scenes. Former Mali international Eric Chele was appointed in January, after Augustin Aguaoane stepped down on an interim basis, but he too was unable to turn things around.
In addition to this instability, there were also disputes over pay. During preparations for the playoffs in November, players refused to train in protest against unpaid bonuses. Eventually he returned to work. Captain William Trost-Ekong posted an update on X, formerly known as Twitter: “Problem resolved. We are together and, as before, focused on the games ahead!”
However, needless to say, this was far from the best build-up.
“When players aren’t getting paid or feel like they’re not getting what they should be getting, it creates all kinds of problems,” Okinyo said.
structural issues
Critics say that after previous successes, Nigeria became indifferent to player development and failed to invest in grassroots and infrastructure. This is in stark contrast to the recent success of Morocco, a country that has improved to the point where the men’s team reached the last four of the 2022 World Cup.
“What Morocco has achieved is the result of a long journey.” said Yemi Idowu, president of Lagos-based Nath Boys Football Club, which has produced a number of talented senior players including Nigeria international William Ndidi who now plays for Besiktas.
“If you visit their (Moroccan) villages, you will see structure. We don’t have that,” Idovu said.
“Simple grass fields and functioning junior leagues are enough. Today, we can’t even get competition-grade football in Nigeria – all that is sold is fake.”
Morocco has also made considerable progress in women’s football. The Atlas Lionesses had not qualified for the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) for 22 years since 2000, but have now reached the finals in the last two tournaments.
Challenges for women
Nigeria women won the title in July, their 10th win in only 13 continental tournaments. The women’s team’s success has been a bright spot in recent years as the men have struggled.
However, there are signs that the women’s game in Africa is becoming more competitive as Morocco and Algeria are investing and becoming stronger. Higher prize money and private sector interest are encouraging more federations to pay more attention to the women’s game.
Nigeria is still the dominant power on the continent, but may soon no longer be as dominant.
“Women have been excellent over the past few years, but there’s no doubt that the fear factor is going to be there as well,” Okino said. “There are other teams that are improving and think they can beat Nigeria.”
orders from above
The grassroots level and infrastructure will take time but the opportunity for the men’s team to show they are still a force to be reckoned with is just around the corner; The 2025 African Cup of Nations begins in December. The team won its last third title in 2013 and the order from the top is that now is the time to return to winning ways.
“We must now close all the loopholes,” Nigerian President Bola Tinubu said just hours after the defeat to DR Congo.
“Our football administrators, players and indeed all stakeholders must go back to the drawing board. Now is the time to focus all efforts on the Nations Cup. Our Super Eagles must regain the lost glory.”
Edited by: Chuck Penfold