Sports Minister, Sen. John Enoh has charged the Super Eagles to improve their games in 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers following Thursday’s 1-1 draw against Crocodiles of Lesotho in Uyo.
Enoh watched the match with high expectations of a resounding victory for Eagles but returned home a sad man.
However, the anticipated triumph fell short as the performance of the Super Eagles did not meet the anticipated standards forcing the minister to call for improved performance in the coming match against the Warriors of Zimbabwe at Stade Huye in Butara.
“The Government and football-loving people of Nigeria take the qualification for the 2026 World Cup very seriously and want the Super Eagles to qualify,” Senator Enoh stated.
“Having missed out on the 2022 world cup in Qatar, qualifying for the 2026 World Cup is not negotiable,” he said
Expressing urgency in rectifying the team’s performance, Senator Enoh urged the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) to address the observed lapses from Thursday’s match.
He stressed the need for a significant improvement ahead of the game against the Warriors of Zimbabwe.
“I urge the Nigeria Football Federation to look into Super Eagles disappointing performance and correct all the lapses observed in the match with the aim of putting in a much better performance in Rwanda on Sunday, November 19, 2023 against Zimbabwe.”
Addressing the broadcasting limitations that prevented some Nigerians from watching the national team in action, Senator Enoh highlighted the Ministry’s efforts to resolve the situation and urged the NFF to register Nigeria’s dissatisfaction with the appropriate authorities.
“We understand that the qualifiers are FIFA-organized, and so the television broadcasting rights are in the World Football Governing Body’s purview,” he said.
“It is not good enough that many Nigerians could not watch their National team play in their country. A repeat of same should be avoided and NFF will be expected to register Nigeria’s displeasure with the appropriate authority in FIFA.”
While acknowledging the challenges, Senator Enoh rallied support for the Super Eagles, urging them to exhibit sharper gameplay throughout the remaining qualifying series.
“Nigerians are all rooting for your success,” he concluded, emphasizing the collective desire for the team’s advancement in the qualifiers
