Victor Okechukwu Agali, former Super Eagles and Olympique de Marseille striker, has appealed for calm among Nigerian supporters as doubts grow over the team’s 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification, according to Soccernet.ng.
After failing to win any of their first four World Cup qualifying matches, the three-time AFCON champions finally secured a 2-0 victory over Rwanda under new coach Eric Chelle. However, their momentum stalled with a disappointing draw against Zimbabwe, severely denting Nigeria’s hopes of reaching the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Despite the setbacks, Agali insists the Super Eagles still need time to rebuild and find their rhythm.
“We should be patient with them. We should also support and encourage them. They are our younger ones and, as such, deserve our patience and encouragement to grow.
“There’s also a possibility of them winning all the games and still not qualifying. It’s not a matter of life and death. We’ll be happy for them to qualify, but we should also be patient and allow them to achieve it, but if they don’t, let’s still encourage them and prepare for the next time. Life goes on,” the 46-year-old said in an interview with Complete Sports.
“We want the team to qualify. We want the Nigerian flag flying in Mexico, the USA, and Canada. I believe we can still make it, but if it doesn’t happen, we take it in good faith and move on,” Agali concluded.
With a six-point deficit behind group leaders South Africa in the World Cup qualifiers, Nigeria must secure victories in all four remaining matches to keep their 2026 FIFA World Cup hopes alive.
