By Obaloluwa Joshua, LAGOS
Former Super Eagles head coach, Sunday Oliseh has said the team can’t afford to miss out on a place at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, Prompt News reports.
The Super Eagles failed to qualify for the just ended 2022 World Cup in Qatar after losing to perennial rivals Ghana Black Stars of Ghana in the playoffs.
Oliseh, who represented the Super Eagles at two FIFA World Cups warned that Nigeria football would be dead should the three-time failed to return to the mundial.
“Nigeria football will be all but dead if we failed to qualify for the next World Cup,”Oliseh said in an interview on ARISE TV on Monday.
“We’re already behind many countries because we didn’t qualify (for Qatar 2022) and we’re farther behind because we didn’t participate at this World Cup.
“Football is a religion in this country, but when you don’t have a solid league, you cannot have a good national team.”
The 2026 World Cup will be hosted by the USA, Mexico and Canada and will be expanded to 48 teams with Africa presenting nine qualifiers.