Former Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) president Amaju Pinnick believes the Super Eagles can still qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup despite a poor start to their campaign.
The three-time AFCON winners have struggled under three different coaches during the qualifiers. Jose Peseiro began the run with two draws, Finidi George lost to Gernot Rohr’s Benin Republic and drew with South Africa, and Eric Chelle has managed one win and one draw.
Chelle gave Nigerians hope in March with a 3-0 victory over Rwanda, but that optimism faded after a draw with Zimbabwe.
Nigeria currently sit fourth in Group D with seven points from six matches, trailing Benin Republic, Rwanda, and South Africa. With only a few games left, any slip could see the team miss the World Cup for the second time in a row.
Pinnick compared the current situation to the 2018 World Cup qualifiers, where the Super Eagles overcame tough odds to reach Russia.
“In 2018, nobody gave us a chance,” Pinnick told Brila. “Cameroon were defending champions, Algeria were unbeaten in nearly 20 games, and Zambia were strong, but we qualified. That’s why I still keep the faith with this team. Never say never until the final whistle.”
The Super Eagles will continue their qualification journey next month, hosting Rwanda at the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium on 6 September before travelling to face South Africa three days later.