Super Eagles star Wilfred Ndidi has revealed that the players are ready to work hard to qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
The team endured a poor start to the qualifiers with just three points from four matches without a win, to sit fifth in Group C.
Ndidi admitted that the players have not lived up to expectations in the World Cup qualifiers, emphasising the importance of qualifying for the competition.
He said: “We want to win but I feel we put ourselves in this situation because we didn’t do well in the previous games.
“But I feel the qualifying games for the AFCON and qualifying for the AFCON has brought a kind of confidence in the team to actually push towards the World Cup qualifiers.
“We know we are in a difficult and critical situation and we cannot let it slip. If some players miss this one (2026 World Cup) there’s no guarantee they will be in the next one (2030 World Cup).
“The last World Cup I went to was in 2018 but there was no opportunity to go for Qatar 2022. Some of the players who were in 2018 are not in the national team anymore.”
The Nigeria Football Federation unveiled Eric Chelle as the team’s new coach on Monday ahead of the World Cup qualifiers, Ndidi is confident the Malian can take Nigeria to the World Cup.
He said: “With our quality and the new coach, we will qualify for the 2026 World Cup.
“It won’t be easy, but we’re all together in the task to qualify for the World Cup.”
Nigeria will return to action in the World Cup qualifiers in March against Rwanda in Kigali.
A win for the Super Eagles will boost their chances of qualifying for the World Cup after missing out on the 2022 edition in Qatar.
