Prolific Super Eagles and Galatasaray FC striker Victor Osimhen insists Nigeria must do everything possible to secure a place at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
The three-time African champions missed the last edition in Qatar and are now pushing through the playoffs to avoid another costly absence. Nigeria will face the Leopards of DR Congo in the final playoff clash in Rabat on Sunday.
The winner will advance to the Intercontinental Playoffs scheduled for March 2026 in Mexico, where one final ticket to the mundial will be on the line.
Osimhen stressed that Nigeria cannot afford to miss the World Cup for a second consecutive time, describing qualification as non-negotiable for the team and the nation.
“We can get it done,” Osimhen told ESPN ahead of the clash with the Leopards.
“We have the squad to actualise this dream of going to the World Cup because everyone wants to go to the World Cup.
“We have to be at the World Cup because we missed out on the last one, and I think we have the quality to do it.”
The Super Eagles of Nigeria face one of their most defining tests in recent years as they take on the Leopards of the Democratic Republic of Congo in Sunday’s 2026 FIFA World Cup playoffs final in Rabat, Morocco—a clash that will determine whether the three-time African champions stay on course for a long-awaited return to the global stage.
Nigeria, which painfully missed out on the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, enters the showdown with a renewed sense of urgency. For the players, coaches, federation, and millions of supporters across the country, the stakes could not be higher. Victory guarantees a ticket to the Intercontinental Playoffs in Mexico next March, leaving the Super Eagles just one step away from securing their place at the 2026 Mundial in the United States, Canada, and Mexico..view more