Super Eagles’ Failures: The Major Issues Holding Nigeria Back and How to Fix Them

• Nigeria’s 2026 World Cup qualification run is successful jeopardy aft a mediocre start
• The Super Eagles person struggled against lower-ranked African teams successful caller years
• UK-based Journalist Samuel Omaenikun suggests tactical and administrative changes to revive the Super Eagles team

Nigeria’s travel to the 2026 FIFA World Cup is hanging by a thread aft a disappointing 1-1 gully against Zimbabwe.

The Super Eagles, erstwhile a ascendant unit successful African football, person struggled to asseverate their superiority, collecting lone 7 points from six games successful Group C.

The Super Eagles hazard missing back-to-back FIFA World Cups aft a mediocre commencement successful the 2026 qualifiers. Photo credit: @NGSuperEagles
Source: Twitter

According to FIFA.com, Nigeria presently beryllium 4th successful the group, trailing leaders South Africa, who person 13 points.

This means the three-time African champions indispensable triumph each their remaining matches to basal a accidental of qualifying, either arsenic radical winners oregon among the champion runners-up.

However, caller performances suggest that achieving this volition beryllium an uphill task for the Super Eagles arsenic their inability to unafraid wins against lower-ranked teams similar Rwanda, Lesotho, and Zimbabwe highlights a deeper contented wrong the squad.

A squad boasting stars similar Victor Osimhen and Ademola Lookman should not beryllium struggling against these sides. So, what precisely is going wrong?

Why are the Super Eagles struggling?

Nigeria’s nonaccomplishment to predominate African shot stems from aggregate factors, including mediocre squad chemistry, inconsistent coaching strategies, and a deficiency of enactment connected the pitch.

Unlike past generations of Super Eagles teams that had wide playing philosophies, this existent squad seems disjointed and without a chiseled identity.

Additionally, the fearfulness origin that erstwhile accompanied the Super Eagles' sanction has faded arsenic African teams nary longer spot Nigeria arsenic an unbeatable giant, and caller results person proved it.

Losses and draws against alleged "smaller teams" similar Benin, Lesotho, and Zimbabwe bespeak that opponents present judge they tin lucifer Nigeria toe-to-toe.

Another cardinal contented is the antiaircraft instability that has plagued the team, arsenic the inability to adjacent retired games has outgo Nigeria important points successful the qualifiers.

Victor Osimhen celebrates with Ademola Lookman aft giving Nigeria the pb against Rwanda successful the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers. Photo credit: @NGSuperEagles
Source: Twitter

Despite having elite attackers, the deficiency of midfield creativity means work to the forwards is often inadequate, making them ineffective successful large games.

How tin the Super Eagles commencement flying again?

UK-based Nigerian shot writer Samuel Omaenikun, successful an exclusive chat with Legit.ng said drastic changes are needed some connected and disconnected the transportation for Nigeria to reclaim its presumption arsenic an African powerhouse.

"The Super Eagles request a accordant tactical identity, thing they’ve lacked successful caller years. The champion teams person a structured strategy and instrumentality to it, but Nigeria has changed styles excessively frequently, starring to disorder and instability. "A well-defined attack tailored to the strengths of cardinal players similar Osimhen and Lookman is important to success.""Beyond tactics, Nigeria indispensable code its shot medication issues. Poor planning, managerial instability, and deficiency of due scouting person wounded the team. "The NFF indispensable instrumentality a semipermanent vision, put successful grassroots football, and guarantee transparency successful subordinate enactment to physique a squad susceptible of competing astatine the highest level."

With clip moving out, the Super Eagles indispensable crook things astir quickly. If these issues are not addressed, Nigeria could miss back-to-back FIFA World Cup tournaments—an unthinkable script for a state with specified a affluent shot history.

Chelle shares program to assistance Super Eagles

Earlier, Legit.ng reported that Eric Chelle has opened up connected his plans to assistance the Super Eagles suffice for the 2026 FIFA World Cup contempt a mixed effect successful the March planetary break.

The Nigeria Football Federation appointed Chelle successful January and gave him the main work of turning astir the World Cup qualifier contempt a mediocre start.

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Source: Legit.ng