African Nations Celebrate World Cup Success, Nigeria Left Out

Lagos State Sports Trust Fund chairman Wahid Oshodi said African football reached a higher level after nine of the continent's ten teams advanced to the round of 32 at the 2026 FIFA World Cup. He highlighted the growing presence of African players in Europe's top leagues, praised Morocco's structured development and Cape Verde's achievements, and called for greater investment in coaching, youth programmes and sustained support to improve match management and finish games strongly.

Former Nigerian football star Segun Odegbami argued that Nigeria would have been “unstoppable” had the Super Eagles qualified, citing the talent of current players competing abroad. He urged the Nigeria Football Federation to treat the missed qualification as a lesson, emphasizing long‑term planning, technical stability and youth development to return to the world stage in future tournaments.