‘A Pity Major Players Like Osimhen and Lookman Are Not Here’: Rohr Laments Lost Generation at 2026 World Cup

Former Super Eagles coach Gernot Rohr has described Nigeria’s absence from the ongoing FIFA World Cup as a ‘real pity,’ insisting that the failure to qualify has denied the tournament some of its most exciting individual talent.

Rohr, who guided Nigeria to the 2018 World Cup in Russia, reflected on the painful reality that stars such as Victor Osimhen, Ademola Lookman, and Samuel Chukwueze are missing from the expanded 48-team competition.

Nigeria fell short in the continental playoffs, losing to DR Congo in a penalty shootout.

Speaking in an interview with Footy Africa, Rohr praised the progress of African teams at the tournament, pointing to Morocco’s draw with Brazil, Senegal’s performance against France, and Ivory Coast’s victory over Ecuador as evidence that the gap between African football and its European and South American counterparts has narrowed.

‘Strategically, we are now on the same level as European or South American teams, which is great,’ Rohr said.

‘Nigeria should have been playing as well. Even though they had great individual players with immense quality, they simply didn’t play like a team early on and dropped too many points. It is truly a pity that major players like Osimhen, Chukwueze, and Lookman are not here to be seen.’

The timing of Nigeria’s absence makes it particularly painful. With Osimhen at 27 and Lookman at 28, Rohr noted that the 2026 World Cup represents the peak window for this generation of Super Eagles talent.

The expanded format offered more matches and exposure than ever before, but Nigeria’s finest squad since the Class of 1994 will now have to wait until 2030 for another chance.

While Osimhen has become Nigeria’s all-time leading UEFA Champions League scorer and Lookman has delivered historic performances in Europe and Africa, neither has yet played in a World Cup.