Richard Idike, the commissioner for youth development and sports in Ebonyi, together with supporters, has cautioned the Super Eagles to avoid complacency as they get ready for their World Cup play-offs in November.
The participants interviewed by journalists on Wednesday in Abakaliki stated that the players should not become overconfident regarding a World Cup position because of their notable victory over the Benin Republic.
The Eagles clinched a play-off position for the mundial by defeating the Benin Republic 4-0 on Tuesday in Uyo, Akwa Ibom.
Mr. Idike emphasized that the players need to maintain their focus and understand that their rivals in the play-offs also desire to participate in the World Cup.
“Nigerians believe the team wouldn’t be in this difficult position if it had treated all its qualifiers like the match against Benin Republic.” They entered the game as though their lives were at stake, and this mindset must be maintained during the play-offs.
“The Nigeria Football Federation must make every effort to guarantee our success in the play-offs given the issues raised by the Benin Republic game,” he stated.Ikenna Odo, part of the Ebonyi Football Association, encouraged the Eagles to steer clear of errors that led to losing an automatic qualification spot.
“Securing play-off qualification is a significant relief, but we must confront the fact that the journey remains fraught with challenges.” He mentioned, “Even if we succeed in the African play-offs, we still face other nations at the FIFA play-offs in March 2026.”
Barry Obiekwe, a transporter and football fan, stated that the NFF should have grasped Nigeria’s emotions about not qualifying for consecutive World Cups.
Reactions are evident nationwide, including from President Bola Tinubu, regarding the significance placed on qualifying for the World Cup. The federation inexplicably employed four coaches to manage 10 qualifiers, and this technical inconsistency unsettled the team,” he stated.
Ogechukwu Onuoha, an educator and football lover, encouraged Nigerians to pray for the team to excel in upcoming games.
“You can picture the atmosphere in the nation if we hadn’t made it to the play-offs.” “The responsibility falls on the players to remain fit, concentrated, and dedicated to avoid the disappointment of missing another World Cup,” stated Ms. Onuoha.
