Eguavoen Confident Super Eagles Will Qualify for 2026 World Cup
Former Super Eagles coach Augustine Eguavoen has expressed strong confidence in Nigeria’s chances ahead of their crucial 2026 FIFA World Cup play-off clash against Gabon next month.
Eguavoen, who once captained the national team, said the players and coaching crew understand the importance of qualifying for the World Cup after missing out on the last edition.
“Everybody’s excited, and I’m super excited because we all know what it means to be at the World Cup. We’ve put the disappointment of the last one behind us,” he said. “The boys know exactly what’s at stake. I like the unity so far from Nigerians, and I believe we will not take this opportunity for granted.”
Nigeria reached the play-offs after finishing as one of the best runners-up in the CAF qualifying series. The team remains unbeaten and will now face Gabon in a must-win semi-final tie in Rabat, Morocco.
Eguavoen said he never lost faith in the Super Eagles, even when qualification looked difficult.
“Of course, we have a chance. From where we’re coming from, many had lost hope, but I didn’t. I believed the team could still make it,” he said. “We prayed that other countries would drop points, and thankfully, that happened. Now that God has given us a lifeline, we have the quality and the players to go all the way. I’m 100% confident we’ll do it.”
The winner of Nigeria’s clash with Gabon will face either Cameroon or DR Congo in the final play-off round as the race to secure a World Cup ticket continues.
