Nantes forward Moses Simon has expressed optimism over Nigeria’s chances of qualifying for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, Soccernet.ng reports.
The Super Eagles have been in impressive form since Augustine Eguavoen took over as interim manager. They have won three games and drawn one, and that has sealed their place at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations.
However, before Eguavoen took over, the team was in a bad place. Under the tutelage of the former coach Finidi George, the Super Eagles were struggling in the 2026 World Cup Qualifiers.
Recall that the Super Eagles had drawn consecutive games against Lesotho and Zimbabwe under Jose Peseiro last year. Then, with Finidi in charge, they drew against South Africa and shockingly lost to Benin.
Those results have put Nigeria in a precarious situation, as they now sit 5th in the group, four points off Rwanda, with six games to go.
The Super Eagles would have to win at least five of their remaining games to qualify for the Mundial.
The players also have extra pressure on their shoulders, as they did not qualify for the last 2022 World Cup.
But despite the current situation, Super Eagles winger Simon is optimistic that they still have a good shot at making the next World Cup scheduled for the USA, Mexico, and Canada.
“We have the quality, we have what it takes to win. We don’t believe that we are not going to the World Cup,” Simon told the BBC.
“The last qualifying games, we missed regular players and I believe they’ll be there next year to help the team.”
On paper, the Super Eagles have the quality to beat all comers in the group. But they have always flattered to deceive.
The World Cup qualifiers will resume in 2025, and Nigeria will still play Rwanda (home and away), Zimbabwe(home), South Africa (away), Lesotho (away), and Benin (home).