Former Nigeria left-back Ben Iroha has expressed how much he misses the presence of the Super Eagles at the ongoing FIFA World Cup 2026, speaking to Completesports.com from his home in Dallas, Texas.

The 56-year-old, who represented Nigeria at the 1994 FIFA World Cup in the United States, admitted he had not fully processed how much time had passed since that tournament until the current edition brought it flooding back.

"I didn't know it was already 32 years since I played in the World Cup finals here in the United States of America," Iroha said. "That was in 1994, the year the Nigeria Super Eagles first participated in the FIFA World Cup finals."

A tournament without Nigerian flavour

Although Iroha has been watching matches at home with his children, he told Completesports.com that something is clearly absent from this edition of the tournament.

"There is, no doubt, a lack of that 'flavour' the Super Eagles always bring to the World Cup," he said. "Those of us Nigerians here in Dallas had planned an elaborate welcome and support base for the Super Eagles during the World Cup but, unfortunately, Nigeria didn't qualify."

Iroha recalled the extraordinary atmosphere at the 1994 edition, when Mexicans and Black Americans packed stadiums waving Nigeria's green-white-green flag and cheering the Eagles as though the match were being played in Lagos. The experience left such an impression that he settled in the United States permanently after the tournament.

Memories of USA '94

Reflecting on former teammates, Iroha revealed he had yet to encounter any of his 1994 squad members living in the United States during this World Cup cycle. "I had thought Austin Jay-Jay Okocha would be here during this World Cup, but I'm yet to see or hear from him," he added.

He expressed hope of attending matches in person from the quarter-final stage onwards.

Comparing the stars of 1994 and 2026

Asked to compare the two tournaments, Iroha acknowledged that the 1994 edition featured a remarkable generation of talent. "During the 1994 edition, we had many big-name players like Diego Maradona, Hristo Stoichkov, and Roberto Baggio, among others," he said. "Now, we have, perhaps, Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo."

He was quick to add, however, that the relative scarcity of marquee names has not diminished the quality of football on display at the 2026 edition.

Chelle appointment came too late

Iroha was candid about Nigeria's failure to qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, describing it as painful and difficult to accept. He pointed to a lack of seriousness in the early stages of qualifying as a key factor.

"Looking at the performance of the team under Coach Eric Sekou Chelle, maybe the team would have been at the World Cup if he had been engaged earlier," Iroha said, suggesting that an earlier appointment for Chelle could have altered Nigeria's fate in the qualifiers.

On a lighter note, Iroha said he fully supports his children — whether they pursue football or any other sport. His son, Benedict Junior, previously played basketball in Denmark before stepping away from the game.