Former Super Eagles striker Obafemi Martins has sent a heartfelt message to the team led by Eric Chelle ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which is set to take place in the United States, Mexico, and Canada. Nigeria will miss the tournament for the second consecutive time after failing to qualify, having also been absent from the 2022 edition.
Martins Expresses Disappointment Over World Cup Absence
With the World Cup kicking off in just four days, the pain of missing out has resurfaced among Nigerian football fans. The Super Eagles' recent performances, including their showing at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations and friendly matches, have made the failure to qualify even more difficult to bear.
Martins, who represented Nigeria at the 2010 FIFA World Cup, spoke highly of the current squad under Chelle. He praised the new additions, such as goalkeeper Arthur Okonkwo and Millwall attacker Femi Azeez, who made their debuts during the 2026 Unity Cup. However, he lamented that such a talented group will not be on the world stage.
“We have to work and see how it goes at the end. I'm so happy for the new invitees because they all gave a good account of themselves, and I think they played quite well, and I'm proud of that,” Martins told the New Telegraph. “The current form of our players all round is very impressive, and this makes the World Cup absence so painful. That Nigeria is not going to the World Cup. I'm not happy about that.”
Martins Urges Preparation for 2030
The former Newcastle United star encouraged the team to regroup and focus on the 2030 World Cup, which will be co-hosted by Spain, Morocco, and Portugal. “I'm a fan even though I used to play for Super Eagles, I'm a fan, and I think they should gather themselves together and try to play as a team and prepare for the World Cup (2030),” he added.
Nigeria has two Africa Cup of Nations tournaments in 2027 and 2028 to focus on before turning attention to the 2030 World Cup qualifiers. Martins understands the pain of a talented squad missing a World Cup, having been part of the Nigerian team that failed to qualify for the 2006 edition in Germany. By the time Nigeria returned to the World Cup in 2010, many players from that 2006 squad were either out of the team or past their prime.
CAF Sends Message to Nigeria
In related news, the Confederation of African Football (CAF) sent a message to Nigeria despite the country's failure to qualify for the 2026 World Cup. CAF reminisced about Nigeria's debut at the tournament in 1998, when Rashidi Yekini scored the country's first World Cup goal.
