Former Nigeria international, Garba Lawal has shared his thoughts on Nigeria’s World Cup qualification path and the challenges of African football.
Speaking with Brila.net on the upcoming Intercontinental Playoffs, Lawal acknowledged the difficult road ahead for Nigeria:
“It’s very tough. It would have been better if we had qualified through the normal way than going through this long route. It’s not straightforward after you win, you still have to wait for a team from Asia or South America.
“Even if you win the CAF Intercontinental stage, you must make sure you win the global one. It’s not a small task at all.”
Competition in Africa is Tougher Today
Lawal also discussed the growing strength of African teams, warning that Gabon remains a major threat to Nigeria’s World Cup hopes.
“I don’t write Gabon off; they are a very good team and well organized. In football, if you are not organized, even with the best players, the team won’t function well. Every team in Africa is improving.
“When I worked with the WAFU B technical study group in Abidjan, I saw how Niger U17 played it was unbelievable.
“In their semi-final against Ghana, they were the better side until they lost focus and had a player sent off. That’s how Ghana got through.”
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Nigeria’s Fourth AFCON Title Chase
On the Africa Cup of Nations, Lawal cautioned against underestimating Nigeria’s group opponents.
“Our group isn’t easy. Some people said Lesotho would be easy, but we struggled to beat them 2–1. Uganda are even stronger. There are no easy games in African football.”
Lawal earned 57 caps for Nigeria, featuring at the 1998 and 2002 FIFA World Cups.
He was part of the historic 1996 Olympic gold medal-winning team and represented Nigeria at four AFCON tournaments.
