Why Nigeria Missed Out on the 2026 World Cup, Says Former Super Eagles Defender Efe Sodje

Former Super Eagles defender Efe Sodje has offered his view on why Nigeria missed out on the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

Nigeria will not participate in the World Cup, which begins in a few days, after falling short in the CAF qualification campaign.

The Super Eagles were eliminated in a penalty shootout against the Democratic Republic of Congo, who ultimately secured the World Cup berth.

Sodje attributed the failure to the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), arguing that the governing body’s lack of structure and poor decision‑making were key factors.

“Very disappointing. With the quality of players we have, we should be there,” Sodje said via Brila Media.

“But it’s not just the players. We have to also look at the people upstairs because decisions and structure play a big role in why we didn’t qualify.”

Moving forward, Nigeria will turn its attention to the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers later this year.