World Cup 2026: Asamoah Gyang Expresses Regret as Nigeria Misses Out on Qualification

Ghanaian legend Asamoah Gyan has expressed his sympathy to Nigeria after the Super Eagles failed to qualify for the 2026 World Cup.

With the FIFA World Cup expanding to 48 teams, including ten slots for African nations, many fans and analysts hoped that the Super Eagles would secure a place in the tournament to be held in the United States, Canada, and Mexico.

The Super Eagles were eliminated from World Cup qualification following a dramatic 4‑3 loss in a penalty shootout against the Democratic Republic of Congo in the African playoff final last November.

Former Black Stars captain Gyan described the outcome as unfortunate while reflecting on the competitive rivalry between the two leading West African nations.

In a conversation on SuperSport’s Soccer Africa, Gyan said, “When discussing the two nations, Ivory Coast is also quite close to Ghana, but the language barrier sets them apart.”

“Although Ghana and Nigeria do not share a border, Ivory Coast and Nigeria are our brothers; however, in terms of competitiveness, we share a more rivalrous relationship with Nigeria. It is a healthy rivalry.”

“It’s quite unfortunate. Nigeria possesses a strong team. The healthy rivalry between our two nations is remarkable.”

For the first time since their debut in 1994, Nigeria has experienced back‑to‑back absences from the World Cup.