Osimhen: “Nigeria’s absence from the World Cup is a great disappointment.”
Deprived of the 2026 World Cup following the elimination of the Super Eagles during the qualifiers, Victor Osimhen expressed his regret over Nigeria missing out on the global event. The Galatasaray forward nonetheless calls for learning from this failure to bounce back.
Victor Osimhen did not hide his disappointment at seeing Nigeria absent from the 2026 World Cup. The Super Eagles striker acknowledged that the Nigerian team’s failure to qualify for the tournament was a huge disappointment, both for the players and the supporters. While several African nations, including Morocco, Senegal, Egypt, Ivory Coast, DR Congo, Tunisia, South Africa, Cape Verde, and Algeria, are participating in the competition, Nigeria is following the tournament from a distance after being eliminated in the qualifiers.
The Super Eagles saw their hopes of qualification dashed after a lost playoff against DR Congo, missing a second consecutive World Cup finals. In a live exchange on social media, Osimhen bitterly reflected on this absence from the biggest stage in world football. “It’s a difficult situation, not just for me, but for all Nigerian football,” admitted the Galatasaray forward.
However, the 27-year-old striker called for looking to the future despite the disappointment. “We missed our goal, and it hurts. But that’s how football is. We have to accept setbacks, learn from them, and keep moving forward,” he added. Nigeria’s absence remains one of the major surprises of this 2026 World Cup, as the Super Eagles are usually among the leading nations in African football.
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