""The dynamics of African football have changed and are still changing. Teams are improving, and they are no longer scared of Nigeria," Collins Okinyo, former media officer at the Confederation for African Football (CAF), told DW. "Even so, it is unthinkable for a team like Nigeria to miss a second World Cup. It is devastating for Nigerian fans and sad for African fans in general, but they (Nigeria) have only themselves to blame.""
""Talent not enough This came despite the fact that Africa's direct allocation of spots for the 2026 World Cup is nine an increase of five from 2022. Still, the team representing a nation of 240 million and led by star strikers Victor Osimhen and Ademola Lookman, who were named African Player of the Year in 2023 and 2024 respectively, failed to get the job done.""
Nigeria missed qualification for the 2026 World Cup after losing the playoff to the Democratic Republic of Congo, marking a second consecutive absence from the tournament. The Super Eagles won only four of ten qualifying matches and struggled against lower-ranked opponents such as Lesotho, Zimbabwe, Rwanda and South Africa. African teams have improved, reducing Nigeria's historical advantage and leaving players like Victor Osimhen and Ademola Lookman unable to secure qualification. The Nigeria Football Federation faced widespread blame for the failure. The outcome prompted national disappointment and concern over organizational and tactical shortcomings within Nigerian football.
Read at www.dw.com
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