The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has tendered a formal apology to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the Federal Government of Nigeria, and millions of football-loving Nigerians following the Super Eagles’ failure to qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
In an official statement published on its website on Monday evening, the federation apologizedSunday’s shocking defeat to the Democratic Republic of Congo in Rabat, Morocco, as “great weight of emotional depth”.
The loss to DR Congo capped a disastrous qualifying campaign that saw the three-time African champions pick up only a handful of points, plagued by inconsistent performances and off-field administrative challenges.
For a nation where the Super Eagles serve as a symbol of unity, hope, and collective pride, missing out on the World Cup for a second consecutive time is not a great image.
NFF OFFICIAL APOLOGY FOLLOWING WORLD CUP MISS OUT
“The Super Eagles, the technical crew, and the entire leadership of the Nigeria Football Federation profoundly regret the outcome of the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers,” the statement read.
“The Nigeria Football Federation wishes to openly and sincerely apologise to His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu (GCFR), the Federal Government, and to millions of Nigerians, especially our passionate, loyal football fans, following the Super Eagles’ failure to qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup finals.”
“We understand the passion and sacrifice of a country that has always stood firmly behind its team, through triumphs and trials,” the NFF continued.
“We make this solemn commitment to the people of Nigeria: We will rebuild trust. We will restore pride. We will reclaim our standing on the global stage.”
“We will not allow this disappointment to be the final word on Nigerian football,” the NFF assured.
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What’s Next of the Super Eagles of Nigeria
The Super Eagles have also failed to qualify for back to back World Cups, something that has never happened since the country first appeared on the global stage in 1994.
For a nation known as the Giant of Africa in football, missing out on the expanded 48-team tournament co-hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico represents a historic low.
Nigeria will now have to wait another five years before having another chance to return to football’s biggest event.
The Federation, however, has promised to take decisive action to ensure such a disappointment never happens again.
Attention now turns to the Morocco 2025 Africa Cup of Nations in December, where the NFF and the team will seek redemption for their 2023 final loss and their failure to qualify for the 2026 World Cup.
Nigeria will head into the Africa Cup of Nations next month in December, giving the Federation a chance to redeem itself for their 2023 final loss and their failure to qualify for the 2026 World Cup.
The pressure is now on the NFF to ensure the team is fully prepared and that a repeat of this year’s failures never happens again.
For many Nigerians, only winning the trophy can remove the pain of missing the World Cup.
Sunday’s loss to DR Congo in the Africa Play off Final in Rabat remains a moment of profound sadness for Nigerian football.
