William Troost-Ekong, the former Super Eagles captain, has called Nigeria's absence from the FIFA World Cup 2026 a profound disappointment — and urged the Nigeria Football Federation to draw up a clear, sustainable plan to ensure the team returns to football's biggest stage by 2030.

The Super Eagles were eliminated from World Cup contention after losing to the Democratic Republic of Congo on penalties in the final of the African play-offs, extending Nigeria's absence from the tournament to consecutive cycles. Their last appearance was at the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia.

The desire to return burns stronger

Speaking to SuperSport, Troost-Ekong insisted that motivation has never been the issue within the squad.