Former Nigerian international Emmanuel Amuneke in an exclusive interview with Footy-Africa expressed belief that Nigerian football can return to the zenith of Africa, but only if the Nigeria Football Federation conducts an honest evaluation of what went wrong.
The Super Eagles failed to qualify for the expanded 2026 FIFA World Cup, despite boasting one of the most expensive squads in Africa. The three–time African champions had a poor campaign in the qualifiers despite being grouped with minnows such as Zimbabwe, Lesotho, Rwanda, and Benin Republic, eventually losing the automatic ticket to South Africa’s Bafana Bafana.
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They managed to secure an African playoff spot but lost to the Democratic Republic of Congo on penalties in the final round. Nigeria has now missed back-to-back FIFA World Cups, having also failed to qualify for Qatar 2022.
The former Barcelona winger, who was an integral member of Nigeria’s 1994 Africa Cup of Nations–winning side, explained who the Super Eagles can fight back to the top.
“We can redeem ourselves, but first we have to be honest with ourselves about what went wrong and how we can solve the problems. The truth is that the standard of Nigerian football has gone down, and we need to understand why because it is very critical,” he exclusively told Footy-Africa.
“Every journey has a process — sometimes things will flourish, and sometimes there will be difficult moments. But when one is constantly evaluating and seeking solutions, it helps to get us back on track. Our national team is a big brand and a household name, but the truth is they have been struggling,” he added.
Next for the Super Eagles is the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations, to be hosted by Morocco from December 21, 2025, to January 16, 2026.
The Super Eagles reached the final of the last edition in Côte d’Ivoire, and Amuneke believes they can go a step further if they have top-notch preparation.
“The Super Eagles can win in Morocco, but every nation going to Morocco also wants to win, so it depends on our level of preparation and how ready we are to compete with the rest of the continent,” Amuneke concluded.
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