Nigeria failed to qualify for the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar and, for a long while, it looked like the Super Eagles would miss out on a second consecutive appearance at the global showpiece
Former Arsenal and Everton midfielder Alex Iwobi believes Nigeria can still complete their extraordinary journey to the 2026 FIFA World Cup, insisting that the Super Eagles have ‘rescued themselves from the dead’, Soccernet.ng reports.
The 28-year-old Fulham star, who represented Nigeria at the 2018 World Cup in Russia, says confidence is sky-high again after a dramatic turnaround in the qualification race.
Nigeria looked destined to miss out after taking just three points from their first four matches, drawing three and losing one, to sit fifth in their six-team group. The Super Eagles were written off by many, their campaign seemingly doomed after managerial instability and a string of unconvincing performances.
However, a stunning revival under new head coach Éric Chelle saw the team win four and draw two of their next six matches, surging up the table to finish second, agonisingly short of an automatic place but good enough to earn a spot in the CAF playoffs.
Now, Nigeria find themselves one of four African nations, alongside Cameroon, DR Congo and Gabon, competing for a single berth in next March’s intercontinental playoffs, the final hurdle to reach the global finals in the United States, Canada and Mexico.
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Alex Iwobi confident Nigeria can reach the 2026 World Cup
In a candid interview with CNN, Iwobi spoke with both pride and realism about Nigeria’s revival and the challenges ahead.
“We’ve managed to rescue ourselves from the dead,” he admits.
“We know we have the players and the abilities to compete against any other country in the world,” he adds.
“We have last year’s African best player (Ademola Lookman), the year before that (Victor Osimhen). It’ll be a shame if we don’t make it, but we have a lot of confidence. We just have to prove it to ourselves.”
Nigeria’s journey has been anything but straightforward. Two coaches were dismissed during the turbulent opening stages of qualification before Chelle’s appointment brought discipline, tactical structure, and renewed self-belief.
The Super Eagles will now face Gabon on November 13 in Morocco, the same day Cameroon take on DR Congo. The winners of both fixtures will meet three days later in the decisive CAF playoff final.