Former Nigeria international Mutiu Adepoju has called for urgent measures to ensure the Super Eagles return to the FIFA World Cup after missing back-to-back editions of football’s biggest tournament.
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The former midfielder, popularly known as the “Headmaster,” expressed disappointment that Nigeria failed to qualify despite Africa having a record number of slots available in the expanded competition.
“Missing two consecutive World Cups is a huge disappointment,” Adepoju said.
According to the former Super Eagles star, Nigeria cannot afford to repeat the mistakes that led to its absence from the last two editions of the tournament.
“We must do everything possible to qualify next time,” he implied.
Adepoju lamented the team’s inconsistency during the qualification campaign, pointing to dropped points in key matches as a major reason behind the failure.
“You cannot qualify for a World Cup if you keep dropping points unnecessarily,” he noted.
The former midfielder stressed that nations with serious World Cup ambitions must show consistency throughout the qualification process.
“The margin for error is very small in qualifiers,” he added.
Nigeria’s absence from consecutive World Cups has continued to spark debate among former players, administrators and supporters.
“Many still believe Nigeria should never miss tournaments of this magnitude,” football observers believe.
Attention is now gradually shifting toward preparations for the next qualification cycle and future continental competitions.
For Mutiu Adepoju, the message is clear.
Nigeria cannot afford another failure.
Lessons must be learned from the past.
And qualification for the next World Cup must become a national priority.
Because a football powerhouse cannot continue watching the World Cup from home.
