Alex Iwobi believes Nigeria can still secure qualification for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, despite a poor start to their campaign.
The Super Eagles must win their remaining group games and hope other results go their way, as they hope to avoid missing out on a second straight tournament.
They currently occupy the fourth position in Group C with seven points and are six points behind leaders South Africa, who have 13 with four rounds of fixtures remaining.
Speaking ahead of his side’s must-win clash against Rwanda at the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium on Saturday, Iwobi remains confident in their qualities and is optimistic of securing a qualification spot.
“Of course, everyone… We believe that we’re going to go to the World Cup; otherwise, we wouldn’t be here”, the Fulham midfielder said.
“We’re going to try and do our best, so hopefully the fans can continue to believe in us as well.”
Nigeria began their campaign with successive 1-1 draws against Lesotho and Zimbabwe in 2023, before another 1-1 draw against South Africa in their third match. Their winless run continued with a 2-1 defeat at Benin Republic on matchday four.
The Super Eagles marked Eric Chelle’s arrival in January with their first victory of the campaign, a 2-0 result over Rwanda in March, before dropping points again in a 1-1 draw against Zimbabwe five days later.
“Of course, it still takes a lot of time for each player to adjust to the system, but any system that gets us to win is the main thing, and we trust the manager”, Iwobi continued.
“So hopefully, once again, we can get the results in the next two games.”
Nigeria host Rwanda on Saturday before facing South Africa next week in two crucial qualifying matches, in a bid to revive their hopes of reaching the 2026 tournament.
Olakitan is a young writer with a strong passion for sports, having gained experience with IndyPress and Nimelssa Press. His enthusiasm for sports inspired him to cover events both within his school and beyond. With a deep understanding of the game and a refined skillset, he brings sports coverage to a broad, global audience in a way that’s engaging and accessible.
