Nigeria will not be at the World Cup, and what hurts most is that no one is shocked anymore.
Despite a squad full of stars, led by the magnificent Victor Osimhen, the Super Eagles were eliminated by the Democratic Republic of Congo on penalties in the playoff final of Africa’s World Cup qualifiers.
After 120 tense minutes ended in 1-1, Nigeria faltered from the spot, while DR Congo held their nerve to complete a historic qualification. For the Congolese, driven by discipline, unity, and inspired performances from Yoane Wissa and Chancel Mbemba, it was a night of celebration. They are 180 minutes away from their first World Cup since 1974, when the country was still called Zaire. For Nigeria, it was another brutal reminder of how far the giants of African football have fallen.
Nigeria only reached the playoffs after a CAF format change that created additional routes for the continent’s elite to qualify. Even then, the warning signs were clear. In the semifinal against Gabon, Nigeria struggled badly, lacking rhythm and cohesion. Osimhen and his teammates dragged the team through with a huge extra-time push, but the flaws in Mali coach Eric Chelle’s Nigerian squad (a shock appointment many still struggle to understand) were exposed. There was joy at the final whistle, but also a sense that something was fundamentally off.
This will be the second consecutive World Cup the Super Eagles watch from home. A team that has played in six World Cups — a team that once captured the world’s imagination in the 1990s and has won the Africa Cup of Nations three times — will miss out on the biggest, widest World Cup ever held, hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
Yes, Nigeria went out on penalties. But the reasons run much deeper.
Years of rampant corruption within the Nigerian Football Federation, the unhealthy influence of agents, and constant meddling by ex-players eager to promote “their” talents have created chaos rather than continuity. There has been no long-term project, no real development plan, only quick fixes and fire-fighting. Nigeria’s extraordinary individual talent simply cannot compensate for the dysfunction surrounding it.
Ghana faced similar challenges, but their players managed to stabilise in time and squeeze through. Nigeria couldn’t.
Twenty-eight years ago, I sat and watched Jay-Jay Okocha, Finidi George, and Sunday Oliseh flip the football world upside down with a 3–2 comeback win over Spain, which featured Raúl and Fernando Hierro. I fell in love. With the audacity, the swagger, the West African style of play, and with underdogs. Wherever they are. This sense is one of the cornerstones of the BabaGol website in its beginning.
These qualifiers have shown how long 28 years truly are. Nigeria’s problems are now so deep-rooted that they may threaten World Cup qualification not only in 2030, but even in 2034.
Victor Osimhen — still yet to play in a World Cup — will already be 31 by the time the next one arrives. Last night, after 130 minutes against Gabon and another half of football in just three days, he pulled his hamstring and had to leave the pitch. Nigeria’s brightest star, exhausted, broken, and again denied the world stage.
His only chance at partial redemption comes next month, when the Africa Cup of Nations kicks off in Morocco. Nigeria can win it — they have the talent — but even that victory, if it happens, will come with a bitter taste.
For a nation that once set Africa’s footballing standard, missing the World Cup is becoming dangerously normal. And that should worry everyone who still believes in the magic of the Super Eagles.
Nigeria fell to DR Congo on penalties and missed another World Cup, exposing deep structural issues holding back the once-mighty Super Eagles.