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🇳🇬 Nigeria /Sports

Kaita urges Eagles to turn W’Cup pain into AFCON drive

From The Punch · () English

Summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

News Named sources New plan
  • Former Nigeria midfielder Sani Kaita urged the Super Eagles to use missing the 2026 World Cup as motivation to qualify for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations.
  • Nigeria will open its qualifying campaign against Madagascar in Uyo on September 25 before visiting Guinea-Bissau four days later.
  • Kaita said qualification should be only the first objective, with Nigeria capable of challenging for the continental title.

Sani Kaita wants Nigeria to turn the disappointment of missing the 2026 World Cup into momentum for a stronger Africa Cup of Nations campaign.

The former Super Eagles midfielder believes Nigeria has enough quality to qualify for the 2027 tournament, which Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania will host. He urged the team to show its strength when the qualifying campaign begins.

“As Nigerians, we expect the Super Eagles to show their strength and qualify for the AFCON. We have the quality to do it, and we should use the disappointment of missing the World Cup as motivation,” Kaita said.

As Nigerians, we expect the Super Eagles to show their strength and qualify for the AFCON. We have the quality to do it, and we should use the disappointment of missing the World Cup as motivation.

· Sani KaitaKaita urged Nigeria to use its failure to qualify for the 2026 World Cup as motivation for the AFCON campaign.

Nigeria will face Madagascar in Uyo on September 25 and then travel to Guinea-Bissau on September 29. The three teams are in Group L with co-host Tanzania, which already has a guaranteed place in the tournament.

Kaita, who represented Nigeria at the 2010 World Cup and the 2006 and 2010 AFCON tournaments, said the Eagles should aim beyond qualification. “It is not only about qualifying. Nigeria has the quality to compete for the AFCON title, and that should be the target,” he added. The campaign will begin a new competitive cycle under coach Eric Chelle.

It is not only about qualifying. Nigeria has the quality to compete for the AFCON title, and that should be the target.

· Sani KaitaKaita said Nigeria should target the continental title rather than settle for qualification.
About this summary

Originally published by The Punch. Summarized and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

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