Wike Expresses Outrage Over Super Eagles' World Cup Absence

FCT Minister Nyesom Wike has voiced strong displeasure over the Super Eagles' failure to qualify for the 2026 World Cup, calling the absence "disgusting." Wike expressed his outrage while attending the commissioning of the Kuje-Gwagwalada dual carriageway, where he noted the warm reception given to former Super Eagles Captain Joseph Yobo.

Speaking to Vice President Kashim Shettima, who represented President Bola Tinubu, Wike lamented that while many African nations, including Morocco, Ghana, Cape Verde, DR Congo, and Ivory Coast, secured spots in the expanded 48-team tournament, Nigeria, an "African powerhouse," did not.

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Before I leave, yes, we have congratulated one of our stars, Joseph Yobo. Let me use the medium through you to tell the Super Eagles, we are not happy. The moment they said ‘Super Eagles’, I said I won’t clap. Because I watch the World Cup and I see countries I’ve never heard before, qualifying to play World Cup.

"I watch the World Cup and I see countries I’ve never heard before, qualifying to play World Cup," Wike stated. He highlighted the paradox of Nigeria, with at least 13 players of Nigerian ancestry playing for other nations, failing to secure a place. "Yobo, go and tell them we are not happy," he urged the former captain.

This marks the third time this millennium that the Super Eagles have missed the World Cup. Previous exclusions were for the 2006 edition in Germany and the 2022 tournament in Qatar. Most recently, DR Congo secured the African ticket to the North American finals in March.

“

I’m sitting down for hours, watching countries that I’ve never known. Nigerians, in this context, not less than 13 players of Nigerian ancestry, playing all over the world for other countries but here, we did not qualify. Yobo, go and tell them we are not happy.