“Nigeria has better players” – Confident ex-PSG star backs Super Eagles for 2026 World Cup ticket

Former Super Eagles defender Godwin Okpara has expressed confidence in Nigeria’s chances of qualifying for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, Soccernet.ng reports. 

The 2013 Africa Cup of Nations champions sit fifth in Group C, standing with three points out of a possible 12 points in their four games played so far.

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Now they have a must-win encounter with the group leader Rwanda, and the last-bottom team of the group Zimbabwe, to revive their World Cup hopes in March.

Speaking to Brila Media, a former Standard Liege player stated that the quality of Nigerian players should be enough to secure a World Cup spot.

“1v1 Nigeria has better players than the teams in our World Cup group, and I'm confident we will qualify for the tournament next year,” Okpara said.

Despite Nigeria’s slow start in the qualifiers, the 18-capped former Nigeria international remains optimistic that the Super Eagles will rise to the occasion and secure their place in the qualifying tournament.

The Super Eagles are scheduled to face Rwanda on March 21, 2025, at Kigali's Amahoro Stadium, followed by a home match against Zimbabwe on March 25, 2025, at the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium in Uyo.

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Meanwhile, this will be the debut game for Malian coach Eric Chelle, who was recently appointed as the head coach of the Nigerian national team. He will aim to build on his past success with the Mali national team and guide the Super Eagles to victory in March.