The Super Eagles’ Road to the World Cup has never been smooth. Is history repeating itself or will 2026 be different?

For Nigerian football fans, World Cup qualification always seems like a rollercoaster ride and the ongoing campaign for the 2026 World Cup is not different. Mathematically, the Super Eagles can still make it—but the window is narrowing fast. Grabbing maximum points in the remaining games and perhaps a slice of fortune, such as external rulings shaking up group standings, are now essential. With Rwanda and South Africa up next, the mission has become do-or-die fixtures.

Nigeria has been bedevilled by a history of Near Misses and Painful Lessons in World Cup qualifiers. Between the 1960s and 1980s, Nigeria consistently failed to qualify for the World Cup, usually losing out to African rivals like Cameroon, Tunisia, and Algeria. It wasn’t until 1994 that the Super Eagles finally broke through to the global stage but history hasn’t always been kind. For the 2006 World Cup in Germany, Nigeria shockingly failed to qualify, finishing behind Angola. That miss ended a run of three straight appearances (1994, 1998, 2002) and left fans stunned.

The 2018 qualifiers saw Nigeria surviving the Group of Death. Nigeria was handed what many called the “Group of Death”: Cameroon, Zambia, and Algeria—all former African champions. Against the odds, the Super Eagles thrived.

• They beat Zambia 2–1 in Ndola to set the tone.

• They followed up with a 3–1 win over Algeria in Uyo.

• Nigeria dismantled Cameroon 4–0 in Uyo before holding them 1–1 in Yaoundé, effectively ending the Indomitable Lions’ hopes.

• On October 7, 2017, Alex Iwobi’s goal sealed a 1–0 win over Zambia in Uyo, confirming Nigeria as the first African team to book a ticket to Russia 2018.

However, there was a controversy when FIFA later awarded Algeria a 3–0 win because Nigeria fielded an ineligible player, but it had no impact on the standings. The campaign under coach Gernot Rohr remains one of the rare times Nigeria cruised through qualification with resilience and discipline.

Then came 2022—a brutal reminder of how quickly fortunes can change. Nigeria topped their group ahead of Cape Verde, Central African Republic, and Liberia, but cracks showed. A shocking 0–1 home loss to CAR in Lagos raised early doubts.

In the playoffs, Nigeria was drawn against eternal rivals Ghana.

• The first leg in Kumasi ended 0–0, leaving everything to play for in Abuja.

• In the second leg, the match ended 1–1.

On the dreaded away-goals rule, Ghana advanced—and Nigeria missed the World Cup for the first time in 16 years. The aftermath was chaotic: furious fans stormed the Moshood Abiola Stadium pitch, vandalized facilities, and clashed with security forces. FIFA sanctioned Nigeria over the crowd trouble. For many, it wasn’t just a sporting failure—it was a national embarrassment.

Is History About to Repeat Itself?

With the 2026 World Cup qualifiers underway, the Super Eagles again find themselves in dangerous waters. Despite having one of the most talented squads in Africa—Victor Osimhen, Alex Iwobi, Wilfred Ndidi, Kelechi Iheanacho, Ademola Lookman, Samuel Chukwueze etc qualification is far from guaranteed. The stakes couldn’t be higher. Fans are asking the same painful question: must the Super Eagles always struggle to qualify for the World Cup?

The answer will depend on whether Nigeria can finally learn from history—or whether the cycle of inconsistency will continue to haunt Africa’s most followed team

Okeluemaka