Iwobi: ‘It will be shame if Nigeria don’t qualify for World Cup’

Nigeria national team winger Alex Iwobi has openly said that it will be a shame for the Super Eagles if they don’t qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

The Super Eagles will face Gabon on November 13 in the semi-finals of the African playoff tournament, which serves as a qualifier for the intercontinental playoffs of the 2026 World Cup.

Nigeria finished second in Group C, behind South Africa, while Gabon came in second behind Ivory Coast in Group E. They managed 17 points, one less Bafana Bafana after winning four matches, drawing five and losing one.

Meanwhile, Gabon came second in Group F with 25 points, one fewer than African Ivory Coast. Gabon registered eight wins, one draw and lost only once.

Nigeria have ability to compete against the best

“We’ve managed to rescue ourselves from the dead,” said Iwobi ahead of the Gabon qualifier as quoted by CNN. “We know we have the players and the abilities to compete against any other country in the world,” he adds.

“We have last year’s African best player (Ademola Lookman), the year before that (Victor Osimhen). It’ll be a shame if we don’t make it, but we have a lot of confidence. We just have to prove it to ourselves.”

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