Senator Ned Nwoko, Vice Chairman of the Nigerian Senate Committee on Sports, has expressed regret over the Super Eagles' failure to qualify for the FIFA World Cup 2026, while voicing confidence that Nigeria will draw lessons from Morocco and other African nations to secure a place at the 2030 edition.

A painful absence, but not without lessons

Speaking during a facility tour of the NFF/FIFA 68-room hostel and football pitches, Nwoko acknowledged the hurt of missing out on the ongoing tournament. He pointed out, however, that no nation is guaranteed a place at every World Cup and that both the players and the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) must use this setback as fuel for improvement.