Sports analyst Abdulkarim Abdullahi Tsoho has said Nigerians will not fully enjoy the 2026 FIFA World Cup following the failure of the Super Eagles to qualify for the tournament for the second consecutive time.
Speaking with SolaceBase, Tsoho described Nigeria’s absence from the global football showpiece as a disappointing record for a country widely regarded as one of Africa’s football powerhouses.
According to him, poor planning and shortcomings by the relevant football and government authorities contributed to the team’s failure to secure a place at the tournament.
“This is a bad record for Nigeria, and it was caused by improper planning by the authorities. After missing the World Cup in Qatar, proper actions should have been taken to ensure the country did not miss this edition as well,” he said.
Read Also:World Cup 2026: Ghana’s Thomas Partey denied entry to Canada
Tsoho stressed the need for long-term planning and strategic reforms to prevent a repeat of the situation in future qualification campaigns.
“It is high time to start planning ahead to avoid repeating the same mistakes. The lessons from this failure must be learned if Nigeria is to return to the World Cup stage.”
The analyst noted that, in the absence of the Super Eagles, many Nigerians would be left with no choice but to support other countries during the tournament.
“Nigerians will be left with the option of supporting countries of their choice because their national team will not be there.”
Tsoho, however, expressed optimism about the prospects of African teams at the tournament, noting that countries such as Morocco, Senegal, Egypt and others have the quality to make a strong impact on the world stage.
The 2026 FIFA World Cup, which will be hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico, is expected to feature an expanded format with 48 teams competing for football’s biggest prize.
