Nigeria faces a daunting challenge of qualifying for the upcoming World Cup tournament next year
The Super Eagles striker, Victor Osimhen recently expressed his desire to play at the World Cup, even as he emphasized the importance of the national team, the Super Eagles giving their best to qualify for the tournament in 2026. Osimhen’s desire comes amid speculations that the country may not be able to qualify for the mundial based on the circumstances surrounding its qualification matches.
The Super Eagles are currently facing a challenging task in their World Cup qualifying group, sitting fifth with three points, four points behind Rwanda, South Africa, and Benin Republic. The Super Eagles have the opportunity to turn their campaign around with upcoming matches against Rwanda and Zimbabwe.
As the crucial World Cup approaches, Osimhen has confirmed that he and his teammates are ready to give their best to avoid missing the tournament for the second consecutive time.
Osimhen said, “We have to give everything. It’s a dream of every youngster to be at the World Cup and mine is no exception. For me I want to be there, just like every other of my Super Eagles teammates and we are really looking forward to the game against Rwanda to try and correct all the mistakes we’ve made in the past games, so for me we will be ready”. The Super Eagles striker also shared his thoughts on the upcoming Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), where Nigeria were drawn against Uganda, Tanzania, and Tunisia, saying “It’s not going to be easy. Just like we all know this is African Football, this is AFCON, you can get a lot of surprises but we’re gonna take each game as they come.”
Osimhen expressed his optimism about the team’s new coach Eric Chelle, and the objectives he has set: “We have a new coach, I spoke with him some couple of times, and I know the kind of objectives he has set for himself and the players. I’m looking forward to the first training so that we can feel his presence and know what exactly we can do.”
The Galatasaray striker is eager to feature in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers for Nigeria under the new coach as the Super Eagles hope to get their campaign back on track in the next two games against Rwanda and Zimbabwe in March.
Osimhen is the most prolific Nigerian striker this season with 20 goals plus five assists in 25 games across all competitions for the Turkish club, where he is currently enjoying life on loan from Napoli.
The 26-year-old, who missed the opening four games of the ill-fated series due to injuries, is also yet to feature at the FIFA World Cup and he hopes to help the country avoid missing out on two consecutive editions.
