Pinnick: Eagles Would Have Qualified for 2026 World Cup Under My Watch
Former Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) president, Amaju Pinnick, has insisted that the Super Eagles would have secured a place at the 2026 FIFA World Cup had he remained in charge.
Nigeria missed out on back-to-back World Cup appearances after failing to qualify for the 2022 and 2026 editions.
The team managed just three points from four matches under coaches Jose Peseiro and Finidi George, before Eric Chelle’s appointment in 2025 briefly revived hopes.
Despite reaching the CAF playoff, a special route created for Africa’s 10th qualifying team, the Eagles fell short, losing to the Democratic Republic of Congo in the final of a four-team mini-tournament in Morocco.
Reflecting on the campaign, Pinnick expressed disbelief that Nigeria could not secure one of Africa’s 10 slots for the expanded tournament in the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
‘I didn’t see it coming because ten teams from Africa will qualify. We didn’t win, but we didn’t lose,’ Pinnick was quoted by Ghana Soccer Net.
‘We were knocked out by the away goal rules (2022). For the 2026 World Cup, if I were there, definitely, Nigeria would have qualified.’
Pinnick himself presided over Nigeria’s failed bid to reach the 2022 finals, but maintains that his leadership would have ensured a different outcome this time.
