Former Nigeria international Tijani Babangida says the consecutive failure of the Super Eagles to qualify for the FIFA World Cup is a major setback that will damage the careers and global value of the current squad, reports totorinews.com.
Babangida, a member of the iconic Atlanta 1996 Olympic gold-winning team, warned that missing football’s biggest stage carries long-term consequences that the present players may only understand after retirement.
“I think the present set of Super Eagles don’t know the value of representing Nigeria at the World Cup. Sadly, they may not know what this means to their career until they retire,” Babangida told totorinews.com.
He explained that playing at the World Cup opened doors throughout his own career, both during his active years and after he stopped playing. “Personally for me, there are things I achieved easily for helping my country to qualify for the World Cup and also doing well in my club during my playing days and even after I retired. Some things that money cannot buy.”
Babangida criticised the team for failing to take advantage of the lifeline offered through the World Cup play-offs, saying they chose the wrong moment to protest unpaid bonuses. “A lifeline opportunity was given to the Super Eagles and they lost it. The 2026 World Cup miss will hit Super Eagles harder than they think.”
He also questioned what legacy the current squad will leave behind, recalling Nigeria’s triumphs during his era despite difficult conditions. “We were denied lots of things while playing for the national team, but we still managed to win the football gold medal of the Atlanta ’96 Olympics and my set went ahead to play at the World Cup too.
“The painful question is, what will Nigerians remember this set of Super Eagles for? The team that failed to beat Lesotho, Rwanda and Zimbabwe at home and still got a lifeline via the play-offs and chose to mess everything up.”
Babangida added that a strong campaign at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco could be the only path to redemption. “May be the team will be remembered for winning the 2025 AFCON tournament in Morocco, which will be good for their career and the image of Nigeria as a great footballing country,” he concluded.
Credit: totorinews.com
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