Super Eagles must qualify for 2026 World Cup, Ikpeba tells Findi George

Ex-Super Eagles forward Victor Ikpeba has urged Finidi George, the newly appointed head coach of the country’s senior men’s national team, and other Nigerian football stakeholders to work hand in glove and secure the 2026 World Cup ticket.

After days of uncertainty about the next gaffer to take the reins of the Super Eagles, the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) on Monday, finally put the speculations to rest by appointing coach George as Jose Peseiro’s permanent successor on an undisclosed contract.

The 52-year-old’s primary assignment according to the NFF statement—which reechoes Sports Minister John Enoh’s mark—was to make sure Nigeria qualify for the 2026 World Cup by first defeating South Africa and the Benin Republic in June.

Speaking on Super Sports’ Monday Night Football program, Ikpeba, an Olympic gold medalist, told George and other football stakeholders that qualifying for the World Cup is non-negotiable, particularly after missing out on the last edition.

“What I want to say to our fans and stakeholders, Finidi George, is that Nigeria has to be at the next World Cup in America, Mexico, and Canada,” the 1997 African Footballer of the Year said.

“In the upcoming matches against South Africa and Benin in June, Nigeria faces crucial fixtures that could define our World Cup aspirations.

“We find ourselves in a challenging position having drawn our initial qualifiers, so securing victories in the upcoming games is imperative. With the talents at our disposal, if Finidi can extract the best from the players, qualification is within our reach.”

The Super Eagles played a 1-1 draw against Lesotho and Zimbabwe in their opening qualifier games back in November 2023.

Now lagging behind Zimbabwe and South Africa in Group C, the June qualifiers are a must-win for the three-time African champions if they want to book a spot in the next Mundial.