“Very disappointing” – Ex-Luton Town defender reveals why Nigeria failed to reach the 2026 World Cup

Former Super Eagles and Luton Town defender Efe Sodje has shared his thoughts on Nigeria's failure to qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, Soccernet.ng reports.

The three-time African champions will miss the mundial after falling short in the CAF qualification campaign, following their penalty shootout defeat to the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Nigeria finished second in Group C of the qualifiers behind South Africa and missed out on automatic qualification. They were then forced into the playoff route in a bid to secure a place at the tournament.

Despite defeating Gabon in the semifinals, Nigeria's hopes were eventually ended by DR Congo, marking their second consecutive absence from the FIFA World Cup tournament, after they also failed to qualify for the 2022 edition in Qatar. 

Nigeria also explored every possible route to overturn their elimination. The Nigeria Football Federation lodged a complaint alleging that DR Congo had fielded ineligible players during the qualification process. However, their appeal was dismissed, which ended their hopes of reaching the tournament.

Efe Sodje reveals reason for Nigeria's World Cup absence

FIFA increased the number of participating nations for the 2027 World Cup, with Africa receiving more qualification slots, although Nigeria still failed to secure a place at the 48-team tournament.

The Super Eagles have since attempted to move on from that disappointment. They finished third at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco and later defeated Zimbabwe and Jamaica on their way to winning the 2026 Unity Cup.

However, former Luton Town defender Sodje, who represented Nigeria at the 2002 FIFA World Cup, admitted he was deeply disappointed by the country's failure to qualify.

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

NFF must also take responsibility

While expressing his disappointment, Sodje insisted that the blame should not rest solely on the players, adding that the NFF also has a role to play.

The federation has faced criticism for several issues including unpaid salaries and bonuses, which might have affected the team’s stability and performance.

“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.”

Nigeria will now focus on the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers later this year. The Super Eagles have been drawn in Group L alongside co-hosts Tanzania, Madagascar and Guinea-Bissau, and will be hoping to avoid another major disappointment when the campaign begins in September.