Ex-Monaco Star Slams Super Eagles Players As Nigeria Set To Lose World Cup Ticket to South Africa
- Former Super Eagles star Victor Ikpeba says talent alone cannot win World Cup qualifiers for Nigeria
- Home and away draws and the Benin loss have left Nigeria scrambling to qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup
- Nigeria must beat Lesotho and Benin in their final two games in the qualifiers to stay alive in the race for 2026
Former Super Eagles forward Victor Ikpeba has voiced strong concerns over Nigeria’s poor showing in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers, questioning the mentality and hunger of the current squad.
With superstars like Victor Osimhen, Ademola Lookman, Victor Boniface, and William Troost-Ekong, Nigeria has struggled against teams regarded as minnows throughout the qualifying series.
Source: Getty Images
As seen on FIFA.com, the three-time African champions sit in third place in Group C with just 11 points from eight games, three points behind Benin Republic and six behind leaders South Africa, who could still face a three-point deduction pending FIFA’s ruling on the Teboho Mokoena ineligibility case.
With only two games left to play, Nigeria’s path to qualifying for the 2026 FIFA World Cup is now hanging by a thread.
How missed chances cost Nigeria
Ikpeba was blunt in his assessment of where the current Super Eagles team got it wrong as he pointed to several dropped points earlier in the campaign that have left them chasing shadows, The Nation reports
Source: Getty Images
“Nigeria did not lose the World Cup ticket in Bloemfontein,” Ikpeba said.
“They lost it when they drew at home to Lesotho, when they drew away to Zimbabwe, when they allowed a last-minute goal at home against Zimbabwe, and when they were beaten by Benin after taking the lead.”
The ex-Monaco forward stressed that qualifying for the World Cup hinged on performing better than South Africa against the rest of the group, a target the Super Eagles failed to meet.
Ikpeba berates the team’s mentality
For Ikpeba, the issue runs deeper than just tactics, as the 1994 AFCON winner believes the current crop of players has struggled to translate their European club form to the demands of African football.
“It’s disappointing because the expectation is high. You have these raw talents, these wonderful players. We see them playing in Europe, but it just shows again the difficulty of coming back home to play in Africa.”
“During my era, we knew what it takes to come and play back home in Africa. When our boys start fighting for the badge, the results will be better. Talent is not enough to win games in Africa.”
Final two games to decide Nigeria’s fate
Nigeria must now beat Lesotho away and Benin at home in October to have any chance of catching South Africa and keeping their World Cup hopes alive.
Even then, they may still need results elsewhere or a favourable FIFA verdict to get back into contention for the 2026 World Cup ticket.
South Africa given unfair advantage
In a related development, Legit.ng reported that Nigeria’s hopes to secure a ticket to the 2026 FIFA World Cup may be over after the Zimbabwe Football Association (ZIFA) confirmed that their next home game against South Africa will take place at the Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban.
The announcement has intensified frustration among Nigerian fans and media, who believe the decision hands South Africa yet another advantage in an already tight qualifying group.
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Source: Legit.ng
