Wike unhappy over Super Eagles' World Cup miss

Nyesom Wike, Nigeria's Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, voiced strong disappointment over the Super Eagles' inability to qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. He declared that Nigerians are unhappy with the team's absence from the global showpiece, a sentiment he conveyed during the commissioning of a dual carriageway in Abuja.

Wike addressed former Nigeria captain Joseph Yobo, who was present at the event, urging him to relay the message to the national team. "I saw people clapping for you; the moment they said ‘Super Eagles,’ I said I won’t clap because I watched the World Cup and saw countries I had never heard of before qualifying to play in the World Cup. But here, we did not qualify. Yobo, go and tell them we’re not happy,” Wike stated.

Nigeria's qualification campaign for the 2026 World Cup, to be held in the United States, Canada, and Mexico, was marred by struggles. The team failed to win its first four matches, leading to two managerial changes. Despite winning six of their remaining games under Franco-Malian coach Eric Chelle, they ultimately lost their World Cup ticket on penalties against DR Congo in the African playoffs.

This failure marks Nigeria's second consecutive World Cup absence, having also missed the 2022 tournament in Qatar, where they were eliminated by Ghana on away goals. The Super Eagles' repeated failure to qualify has drawn significant criticism from football stakeholders and supporters, especially given the country's status as one of Africa's most successful football nations. Nigeria has participated in six World Cups, reaching the Round of 16 on three occasions.

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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. I saw people clapping for you; the moment they said ‘Super Eagles,’ I said I won’t clap because I watched the World Cup and saw countries I had never heard of before qualifying to play in the World Cup. But here, we did not qualify. Yobo, go and tell them we’re not happy.