Are Nigeria at Risk of Missing Out on the World Cup Again?
source : thenff.com
Nigeria were one of the powerhouses of Africa for some time, with regular World Cup appearances between 1994 and 2018. The Super Eagles didn’t qualify for the 2022 competition in Qatar, though, and now there’s a risk that they won’t show up to the next event in North America either.
Currently, the odds are favouring numerous African nations above Nigeria. Can Éric Chelle work wonders and get them through the rest of their qualifying campaign?
Are Nigeria On the Path to Redemption?
With six World cup appearances in the modern era, Nigeria’s inclusion at the ultimate football competition was almost taken for granted. But, after missing out last time, the African nation is now enduring a miserable qualifying run.
Nigeria are in fifth place in their qualifying group at the time of writing, behind Lesotho, Benin, South Africa and Rwanda. They’ve only picked up three points from the first four matches, and trail the top three, who are all on seven points. With no wins to date, Chelle earned a call-up as head coach to try to turn things around.
Chelle was most recently in charge of Mali between 2022 and 2024, and before that managed Boulogne in the Championnat National – the French third tier. These credentials aren’t likely to fill Nigerian supporters with much confidence, but it’s hard for the country’s national team to attract the top coaches in their current state. They will be hoping that the 47-year-old can make a name for himself by staging an epic turnaround in Group C.
It's hard to say whether Nigeria are on the path to redemption, but upcoming games in 2025 will decide their chances. A couple of wins on the bounce could lead to a completely different picture.
Which African Nations Have the Best Chance of Winning?
According to the latest odds in the sports betting markets, Morocco have the best chance of winning of all the African nations. However, they’re listed at odds of around 99/1 at the time of writing, meaning that bookies don’t rate their chances. The usual suspects including France, Spain, and Brazil, have been given the greatest chance of winning, as these giants are often found in the latter stages of major tournaments.
Other African nations that could stand a chance of performing an upset and making it into the latter stages of the tournament include Senegal, Cameroon, and Egypt. An African nation has never won the World Cup, but there could be an upset one day. Morocco reached the semi- finals of the last competition, and various countries from the continent have reached the quarter- finals in the past.
For now, the primary aim for Nigeria is to get back to winning ways and climb up their qualifying group. If they get into the tournament, they can then think about how they can mastermind a heroic underdog journey. There are a few up-and-coming players who could make a difference over the next couple of years, but Chelle will have to be bold with his selections.
Conclusion
At this point, Nigeria faces significant challenges in qualifying for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
The Super Eagles are currently fifth in their six-team qualifying group, with three draws and one loss. This places them four points behind the group leaders—Rwanda, South Africa, and Benin—each with seven points.
The path to qualification requires Nigeria to secure victories in their remaining fixtures, starting with difficult matches against Rwanda and Zimbabwe in March 2025.
Although Nigeria’s poor start to the qualifiers has raised concerns among fans and analysts, there is still cautious optimism despite the uphill battle.
- Nigeria national team
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