Former Super Eagles striker Obafemi Martins has praised the progress made by Nigeria under head coach Eric Chelle, but admits there is one issue he cannot overlook, Soccernet.ng reports.
Martins insists the pleasing display of the Super Eagles in recent weeks is doing little to ease the pain from the country's failure to qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
The former Newcastle United and Inter Milan forward believes there are many positive signs around the national team at the moment, especially after a strong run of results in 2026. However, Martins says the disappointment of missing football's biggest tournament continues to overshadow those achievements.
Since leading Nigeria to a third-place finish at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations, Chelle has overseen an impressive run of five matches without defeat. The Super Eagles have won three and drawn two, while scoring 11 goals in the process.
What makes those numbers even more impressive is that two of Nigeria's biggest attacking stars, Ademola Lookman and Victor Osimhen, were unavailable during that period. Chelle instead handed opportunities to several new faces, and the newcomers responded with energetic displays.
The Super Eagles scored more than once in every match during that run, including a memorable three-goal performance against Jamaica in the Unity Cup final.
Martins says the performances of the new arrivals have been one of the biggest positives of Chelle's reign so far.
“We have to work and see how it goes at the end,” Martins told the New Telegraph. “I'm so happy for the new invitees because they all gave a good account of themselves and I think they played quite well and I'm proud of that.
“The current form of our players all round is very impressive and this makes the World Cup absence so painful.”
Super Eagles: World Cup heartbreak still hurts Martins
Despite the encouraging displays, Martins admits he cannot move on from Nigeria's failure to secure a place at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
The Super Eagles came painfully close to qualification. After finishing second in their qualifying group behind South Africa, Nigeria entered the CAF playoff route. They defeated Gabon 4-1 after extra time in the semifinal before facing DR Congo in the decisive final in Rabat, Morocco.
The Super Eagles started brightly when Frank Onyeka scored in the third minute. However, Meschack Elia equalised for DR Congo in the 32nd minute. The match eventually finished 1-1 after extra time, with Victor Osimhen forced off injured at halftime.
The contest was settled by penalties, where Nigeria suffered heartbreak. Calvin Bassey, Moses Simon and Semi Ajayi all missed from the spot, allowing DR Congo captain Chancel Mbemba to score the winning kick and send his country to the final World Cup playoff.
The defeat confirmed Nigeria's second successive failure to qualify for the tournament, a fact Martins says still troubles him despite the team's recent improvements.
“That Nigeria is not going to the World Cup I'm not happy about that. I'm a fan even though I used to play for Super Eagles, I'm a fan and I think they should gather themselves together and try to play as a team and prepare for the World Cup (2030).”
Nigeria face World Cup-bound Portugal in an international friendly on Wednesday with the Super Eagles aiming to maintain their recent unbeaten streak.
