“Osimhen and Chukwueze” – Gernot Rohr reveals key reason Super Eagles failed to make 2026 World Cup

Victor Osimhen of Super Eagles. (Photo by Imago)

Former Super Eagles coach Gernot Rohr has blamed Nigeria’s failure to qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup on their poor start in the qualifiers, Soccernet.ng reports.

The tournament started last week, and all 48 teams have begun their battle to become champions of the world.

This is the biggest edition of the tournament, with 48 teams competing across the USA, Canada, and Mexico. Africa has ten nations in this competition.

However, the Super Eagles, who are one of the most talented teams, are missing from this edition.

Despite their wealth of talent compared to their African counterparts, the three-time African champions flattered to deceive. They finished second in a group that included South Africa, Lesotho, Zimbabwe, Rwanda, and Benin.

Although Nigeria lost just one game, they drew five, which resulted in them finishing behind South Africa by one point. The Super Eagles even received a fortunate opportunity through the playoffs, but they failed to qualify for the World Cup after losing to DR Congo.

Soccer Gernot Rohr Analyzes Super Eagles’ World Cup Absence

Franco-German tactician Gernot Rohr left the Super Eagles job in 2021. During his time as Nigeria’s coach, he led the team to a World Cup ticket, and that was the last time the Super Eagles played at the tournament.

Speaking about the reasons for Nigeria’s absence in the Americas, Rohr blamed it on their poor start to the qualification series.

“I also think about how Nigeria hasn’t participated since 2018,” Rohr told Footy Africa.

“I believe this is because when we faced them in the group stage, even though they had great individual players with immense quality, they simply didn’t play like a team early on and dropped too many points.”

“It is truly a pity that major players like Osimhen, Chukwueze, and Lookman are not here to be seen. For me, it’s a pity.”.

Nigeria had three different coaches during the World Cup qualifiers—Jose Peseiro, Finidi George, and Eric Chelle. They drew their first three games and lost to Benin in their fourth. It was not until after Eric Chelle took charge last year that they won their first game.

This is Nigeria’s second straight absence from the tournament. Nonetheless, they will be hoping to make things right by the 2030 edition. Mewanwhile, you can catch the 2026 World Cup ultimate guide here.

Kelvin Omachonu

Kelvin Omachonu is a professional football columnist and sports writer with over half a decade of experience covering major events and delivering captivating, analytically-driven stories.
A graduate of the University of Ibadan, he is fueled by a profound dedication to sports journalism and the beautiful game. His insights have previously been featured in respected outlets, including IndyPress UI, UCJ UI Newshive NG, Sportpremi, and a few others.
Away from work, Kelvin is an avid fan of basketball, enjoys a great movie, and is always discovering new music.