Nigeria’s Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, criticised the national team after Nigeria failed to qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, SuperEaglesNG.com reports.
He spoke in Abuja during the commissioning of the Gwagwalada–Kuje Road and directed his message through former Super Eagles captain Joseph Yobo. He said Nigerians feel angry and disappointed and asked Yobo to pass that message to the players.
Wike said Nigeria should not miss a World Cup because the country has many top players in major leagues. He also said smaller football nations qualified, which increased frustration among fans.
The Super Eagles failed to qualify for the FIFA World Cup 2026 after a poor qualification campaign. They missed automatic qualification and entered the playoffs.
However, Nigeria lost to the Democratic Republic of the Congo on penalties and exited the competition.
Earlier, Nigeria beat the Benin Republic, but dropped points in earlier matches affected their chances. As a result, they finished in the playoff stage but failed to qualify.
The 2026 World Cup, hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico, continues without Nigeria. This has increased public debate about the team’s performance and future direction.
