Governor Wike expresses disappointment at Super Eagles' failure to qualify for World Cup

Nyesom Wike, the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, expressed his disappointment with the Super Eagles' failure to qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, stating that Nigerians are unhappy about the team's absence from the global tournament.

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Wike made these remarks on Tuesday during the commissioning of the Gwagwalada–Kuje Dual Carriageway, Phase 1, in Abuja, where he was joined by dignitaries including former Nigeria captain Joseph Yobo.

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Addressing Yobo, Wike urged him to convey a message to the national team, saying "We have congratulated one of our stars, Joseph Yobo, but let me use this medium, through you, to tell the Super Eagles we’re not happy.

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Wike's comments were prompted by the team's poor performance, as he noted that he had watched the World Cup and seen countries he had never heard of before qualify, while Nigeria did not.

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He explicitly told Yobo to "go and tell them we’re not happy" about the team's failure to secure a place at the 2026 FIFA World Cup in the United States, Canada, and Mexico.

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Nigeria's qualifying campaign was disappointing, with the Super Eagles struggling throughout the series and failing to win any of their first four matches.

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Tow managerial changes occurred during the campaign, and Franco-Malian coach Eric Chelle was eventually brought in to try and steady the ship.

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Under Chelle's guidance, the team won four of their remaining six games and made it to the African playoffs, but ultimately lost the ticket to the World Cup on penalties against DR Congo.

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This failure extended Nigeria’s World Cup drought, as the country had also missed the 2022 tournament in Qatar.

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In 2022, Nigeria was denied qualification by Ghana on the away-goals rule, following a 1-1 aggregate draw in the final round of the African qualifiers.

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Nigeria's absence from back-to-back World Cups has drawn criticism from football stakeholders and supporters, given the country's reputation as one of Africa's most successful football nations.

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The Super Eagles have featured at six World Cups, making their debut at the 1994 tournament in the United States and reaching the Round of 16 on three occasions.