Dutch coach Simon Kalika has admitted his deep disappointment at Nigeria’s failure to qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, Soccernet.ng reports.
Kalika is of the view that the Super Eagles’ absence at football's biggest festival will be a major loss to the tournament.
The finals, which will be jointly hosted by the United States, Mexico and Canada, will go ahead without one of Africa’s most famous football nations for a second consecutive edition.
Nigeria had two clear opportunities to book their place but fell short on both occasions. The first chance came in the group phase of the qualifiers, where the Super Eagles were targeting automatic qualification. However, they could only finish second behind South Africa, a result that forced them into the continental play-offs.
That runners-up spot kept their hopes alive, but only briefly. After overcoming Gabon, Nigeria met DR Congo in the African play-off final, where they were edged out in a dramatic penalty shootout. The defeat means DR Congo are now just one win away from reaching the World Cup, while Nigeria are left to reflect on another painful near-miss, having also failed to qualify for Qatar 2022.
For Kalika, what makes this setback even harder to accept is the quality in the current squad. He believes Nigeria possess some of Africa’s finest attacking talents, players who would have lit up the global stage.
Ademola Lookman and Victor Osimhen have been crowned African Footballer of the Year in 2024 and 2023 respectively, while Stanley Nwabali is widely regarded as one of the continent’s top goalkeepers. Calvin Bassey, Alex Iwobi and Wilfred Ndidi also caught the eye at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco.
Apart from Iwobi and Ndidi, many of these stars have never played at a World Cup and have now missed two in a row. It is a situation that deeply frustrates Kalika, who worked with Samson Siasia as assistant coach when Nigeria’s Flying Eagles won silver at the 2005 FIFA U-20 World Cup.
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“These players play in top European clubs and are always a joy to watch together on the biggest football stage, the World Cup,” he told Complete Sports.
“Not being at the World Cup is like covering their talents with a stone so the world cannot see them. That affects the tournament.
“Nigeria is like Brazil and Spain. Not seeing them at the World Cup affects the competition commercially and makes the game look boring.
“The World Cup is the biggest football stage, and Nigeria has the players and should always be there.”
Kalika was also part of Siasia’s technical crew when Nigeria’s U-23 side claimed silver at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, underlining his long association with Nigerian football.
2026 World Cup: Third time lucky for Nigeria
The Super Eagles themselves have appeared at six World Cups and built a reputation as one of Africa’s most exciting teams.
Although they have missed out on the 2026 finals, the Nigeria Football Federation has not completely given up.
The NFF has submitted a petition to FIFA, alleging that DR Congo fielded ineligible players during the play-off in Morocco. FIFA is still investigating the claims, and no final decision has yet been announced.
Until that process is concluded, Nigeria remain in limbo and a World Cup that Kalika believes will be poorer without them waits on.
