Osimhen: Nigeria dying to qualify for 2026 World Cup as the Super Eagles eye first win In Group C
Super Eagles’ striker Victor Osimhen says Nigerian football national team is so desperate to qualify for 2026 World Cup.
Nigeria is preparing for their next phase of the qualifying fixtures after their disappointing opening qualifying fixture which saw them record a winless start in Group C, drawing three of their first four qualifying matches, which Osimhen could not play in due to injury.
Nigeria experienced what described as a “heartbreaking disappointment” just three years ago which saw their closest West African rivals, Ghana, advanced through playoff and made the cut to Qatar 2022 at the expense of the Super Eagles.
“It’s a dream of every footballer to play at the World Cup and with our situation in the group I am desperate, like other players, to make it to the 2026 tournament,” Osimhen told BBC Sport Africa.
“We suffered a big disappointment in 2022 and we simply can’t let it happen again to us, the country and our generation.
“You don’t want to finish your career with the regrets of not playing at the World Cup. That is not what I want for myself.”
Nigeria Dying To Qualify For 2026 World Cup – Osimhen
In the current World Cup qualifying standing in Group C, Nigeria are four points adrift Rwanda and poised to travel to Kigah to play against the Wasps of Rwanda on 21th March, 2025, in a match tagged to be a must-win before playing hosts Zimbabwe four days later.
Nigeria new head coach Eric Chelle has demanded immediate improved impact from his men in a bid to climb up the group ladder as he is set to become the third coach to lead the Super Eagles in the qualifying campaign which started way back in November, 2023.
Former Super Eagles’ coach Jose Peseiro recorded two draws against Lesotho and Zimbabwe in their first two opening matches before leaving the role, and his successor and former Super Eagles’ player Finidi George also departed last June following a loss to Benin and a goalless draw against South Africa.
“There’s a new manager now and we are desperately looking forward to the game against Rwanda to try to correct all the previous mistakes we’ve made and put ourselves in a better position to qualify,” Osimhen said.
Nigeria Dying To Qualify For 2026 World Cup – Osimhen
Fixing Past Mistakes
Osimhen, who won the 2023 African Footballer of the Year award, has recorded 23 goals and made 11 assists in 30 senior matches for the Nigerian Super Eagles, expresses his extreme disappointment after the he and his teammates failed to qualify for Qatar 2022.
He noted that the Super Eagles team are talented with top players including Atalanta forward Ademola Lookman, Nantes attacker Moses Simon and host of Premier League stars like Ola Aina, Calvin Bassey and Alex Iwobi.
With this pool of talents available for selection with the Nigeria national team, Nigeria must be able to qualify for the next year’s FIFA World Cup set to be held in Canada, Mexico and the USA.
It can be recalled that Nigeria has only missed out on the tournament twice after their first appearance in 1994.
“People say we have a talented generation but we can only confirm this talent when we play in a World Cup like those before us,” Osimhen confided.
“I was sad, like my team-mates, to miss out on Qatar and our fans didn’t even understand how much it affected us.
Nigeria Dying To Qualify For 2026 World Cup – Osimhen
“This is why we must correct the previous mistakes by giving everything to our country, our new coach and prove ourselves as being worthy.”
January’s appointment of Chelle created uproar and division among football lovers in Nigeria after the 47-year-old Malian football tactician made history by being named the first-ever non-Nigerian African football coach to lead the Super Eagles.
Osimhen says he is looking forward to good working relations with the new boss who the his country;s national team to the quarter-finals of the 2023 African Cup of Nation (AFCON), and historical win over the Super Eagles of Nigeria last year.
“I’ve spoken to him couple of times and clearly understand the objectives he has set for himself and for the players,” the Galatasary man added.
“It takes more than a coach to win football matches. Players must also be at their best, show commitment and bear in mind that we can all fly together to reach our goal.”
Having To Deal With ‘Shock’ African Game
Victor Osimhen, who has also experienced a stellar season in the Turkish League, with Galatasaray, this season after completing a January loan move from Napoli, had netted 23 goals in 28 outings in all competitions.
Nigeria, who ended up being runners up at the 2023 AFCON tournament, have been drawn in a group alongside Uganda, Tunisia and Tanzania in Group C.
Nigeria Dying To Qualify For 2026 World Cup – Osimhen
However, after conceding the title to Ivory Coast in the last edition of AFCON, Osimhen has projects that the coming AFCON campaign will be a different outing later this year in Morocco.
“It’s not going to be easy because African football is unpredictable, we all saw how some big teams went out early in Ivory Coast,” he said.
“We must take each game as it comes and remember that we are yet to win anything for Nigeria. That should be the motivation we need to go one step better.
“But we cannot focus too much on a tournament that will happen at the end of the year when we have big demands of the World Cup before that. We first take care of that business.”
The 2026 World Cup qualifying rounds will roll before the kick-0ff of AFCON 2025 which is set to commence on 21th December, 2025, with the final four qualifying matches set to take place between September and October this year.
Teams eligible to participate in the next World Cup tournament are the prospective winners from each group, but Nigeria could go through a continental play-off phase should they end up being second.
The Nigerian national team have been crowned three-time AFCON winners and highest-ranked team in Group C, but Osimhen warned against complacency.
“Names no longer win matches and you must be ready and switched on for the duration of the games,” he said.
“We will be playing for our country, our family names and the hopes of almost 300 million people. It is not the pressure that we face but the desire to not let ourselves and the country down.
“Playing at the World Cup is a priority and we must make it happen this time around.”
Nigeria Dying To Qualify For 2026 World Cup – Osimhen
