Former Super Eagles defender Sam Sodje has described Nigeria’s failure to qualify for the FIFA World Cup as a painful setback, insisting the country must learn from the mistakes that led to its absence from football’s biggest stage.
Sodje said the disappointment should serve as a wake-up call for everyone involved in Nigerian football, warning against repeating the same errors in future qualification campaigns.
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“We must learn from this failure because we cannot afford to make the same mistakes again,” Sodje said.
The former international stressed that Nigeria possesses enough quality to compete with the best in the world and should not be watching the tournament from home.
According to him, proper planning, professionalism and accountability are essential if the Super Eagles are to return to the FIFA World Cup.
“With the calibre of players we have, including Victor Osimhen, Nigeria should be competing at the World Cup,” he added.
Sodje urged the Nigeria Football Federation to take responsibility for the disappointing campaign and begin implementing the necessary reforms ahead of future qualifiers.
He maintained that blaming individuals alone would not solve the country’s football challenges, insisting that long-term planning must become the priority.
“The NFF has to take responsibility and chart a better path forward for Nigerian football,” he stated.
Nigeria’s failure to qualify for back-to-back FIFA World Cups has sparked widespread debate among former players and football stakeholders, with many calling for structural reforms to ensure the Super Eagles return to the global stage in 2030.
