“Big shame” – AFCON Bronze Medalist warns Super Eagles ahead of crucial World Cup qualifiers

Former Super Eagles defender Abbey George has expressed his concerns about Nigeria’s chances of qualifying for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, Soccernet.ng reports.

The former Macclesfield Town defender has urged the team to rise to the occasion in their upcoming qualifiers against Rwanda and Zimbabwe.

The 2013 AFCON champions currently sits in fifth place in Group C with just four points from four matches, trailing the Wasps of Rwanda—the group leaders.

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The Super Eagles have struggled in their campaign so far, managing only draws against Lesotho, Zimbabwe and South Africa, before suffering a disappointing 2-1 defeat to Benin.

Reflecting on the team’s struggles, Abbey, who was a member of Nigeria’s 2004 AFCON bronze-winning squad, shared his emotional experience from the Super Eagles’ previous World Cup qualification failure.

“I cried in my room when we failed in Kano,” Abbey told Brila Media. “My kids ask me if I ever played at the World Cup, and I say no. It would be a very big shame if these players never play at the World Cup. They’re at the peak of their powers.”

With their qualification hopes hanging by a thread, the Super Eagles must secure crucial victories in their next two fixtures to avoid missing back-to-back World Cups.

The team will first travel to Rwanda to face Adel Amrouche’s troops in Kigali before hosting Zimbabwe at the Godswill Akpabio Stadium in Uyo, as they seek to revive their faltering campaign.

Newly appointed head coach Eric Chelle has named a 39-man provisional squad for the double-header, with the hope of finding the right balance to steer Nigeria back on track.

The pressure is mounting on the Super Eagles, and as Abbey warns, failure to qualify for another World Cup would be a bitter disappointment for the team and the country.