Former Super Eagles coach Adegboye Onigbinde says he’s optimistic that Nigeria will qualify for the 2026 World Cup.
Recall that the Super Eagles lost 2-1 to Benin on Monday. Raphael Onyedika of Club Brugge gave the Super Eagles the advantage when he slotted in cooly just inside the box.
But unfazed, the Cheetahs of Benin, coached by a former Nigerian gaffer, Gernot Rohr, leveled proceedings in the 37th minute from Jodei Dossou after a defensive error from the Super Eagles.
Read Also: 2026 WCQ: Akanni Rues Eagles Loss To Benin
They compounded Nigeria’s misery just before the halftime whistle via Steve Mounie.
In a chat with Completesports.com, Onigbinde stated that the Super Eagles may be down but not out of the qualifying race for the World Cup.
“It is still very possible for the Super Eagles to qualify for the 2026 World Cup. Everything now depends on how we work our way out of this tight corner.
“But then, I can’t still believe that we lost to Benin 2-1. It’s a game we should have won to brighten our chances in the group.
“Notwithstanding, I am still very optimistic that Nigeria will qualify for the 2026 World Cup.”
19 Comments
Not with Finidi as coach!
Hmmmmmm are u for real? Pls go and take your drugs you need it so badly
Baba still dey dream! Bye! Bye! To 2026 Fifa World cup
Continue deceiving yourself
E still dey do baba like film trick….LMAOoo
That is what you get when you don’t stand on the path of truth, justice and uprightness.
How??
Why are people so wicked in this Nigeria?? They will continue to lie and deceive and will never choose to be honest and tell the truth!
Onigbinde is one of them.Liar!
Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha hahahaha
People who never learn.Back to back world cup miss loading.odegbami,onigbinde,owan Enoh,Amaju,1994 rusty “legends’,Gusau over to you
The problem is bad coach and unmotivated players. However, it’s the duty of the coach to motivate his team, but in this instance it appears that it’s the coach that needs motivation.
Baba is right.
Nigeria is almost out of it, but not completely. Not yet anyway.
MY GOOD PEOPLE, IT’S CALCULATOR TIME!
Nigeria has played 4 matches out of 10. Out of a possible 12 points, we have a paltry 3 points.
We need to win the rest of our 6 games in this group, home and away. If we can swing that, we are left with 21 points.
Our rivals, barring anything crazy, are Benin and SA.
Benin, like Nigeria, have also played 4 games so far. Out of a possible 12 points, they have 7.
Assuming they lose to Nigeria in October 2025, they will still qualify ahead of us if they win the rest of their remaining 5 games, which leaves them with 22 points, ahead of Nigeria.
Now to SA. Bafana Bafana have played 3 matches out of 10, SO THEY HAVE A GAME IN HAND.
However, they have only 4 points out of a possible 9. If they lose to Nigeria at home next year, but manage to win the rest of their 6 games, then they qualify ahead of Nigeria with 22 points.
Here however is the tiny hope that Nigeria still has.
Can Benin beat SA in Abidjan? Can SA rack up 6 wins, assuming they lose to us? Can Benin win the rest of their matches? Rwanda, Lesotho, and Zimbabwe are more than capable of derailing Rohr’s plans of qualifying Benin with games to spare.
How will things turn out?
As long as we win the rest of our games, WE STILL HAVE A CHANCE.
But dropping any further points swings the advantage to SA or Benin.
If however, SA and Benin drop points, then the pendulum begins to swing in Nigeria’s favour.
Doing what is necessary NOW to win the rest of our games is still worth it, even if we miss out on the world cup. In that scenario, we would have at least built a solid team for the next Afcon. And who knows. we just might make it to the mundial, after all.
But another defeat will most likely be the nail in our coffin.
6 WINS. That is what will maximize our chances of getting to the world cup.
Apologies if my calculations are wrong. But I’m not a math professor. Make unu free me.
Oga that your calculator will soon catch fire this finidi and nff have nothing to offer
We only stand a chance as long as Finidi is no longer the SE coach.
This dunce cannot win 6 straight matches to save his own life.
Thanks. Great analysis!!!
I salute your analysis
Na una follow dey spoil Nigeria football, all those ex coaches and exinternationals from 1980s set and 94set. You think you’re better than white coaches. A conductor coaches in Europe is better than any indigenous coaches in nigeria. Another problem is NFF not the players. If am Tinubu, I will use my hand desolve that curopt NFF and fix the right people there but those alcultic politicians in NFF won’t allow it. EFcc should do they job in NFF…
Illiteracy is a disease.most people love to underestimate themselves .if you know that you cannot punch your caculator and caculate the remaining matches of nigeria and group c why can’t you shut up than to discourage those who are ready to make progress.am not here to insult anyone,I COME IN PEACE.and it will shock you when nigeria qualify for 2026 world cup
Oh First time in history! Nigeria won the world cup
Congratulations Nigerians the winner of 2026 World cup 🙂 🙂
I think we still have the hope of qualifying for the world thanks bro for calculating and and analysing