2026 FIFA World Cup: Why Ekong’s excuse for Super Eagles absence is valid

Former Super Eagles defender William Troost-Ekong has revealed that the pain of missing out on the 2026 FIFA World Cup still lingers as the tournament nears its opener, Afrik Foot reports.

Despite boasting one of the most talented squads on the African continent, the Super Eagles will not be heading to the United States, Canada, and Mexico after suffering a heartbreaking playoff defeat to DR Congo on penalties last November.

For ex-captain William Troost-Ekong, the disappointment cuts even deeper. The 32-year-old recently reflected on Nigeria’s failed qualification campaign, admitting the tournament would likely have been his final opportunity to feature on football’s biggest stage.

“It would’ve been the last chance for me as well,” Ekong said in an interview with Al-Jazeera English.

What Ekong said about Nigeria’s World Cup failure

According to the one-time Greek Super League winner, Nigeria’s downfall did not begin in the playoffs against DR Congo, but the damage was done much earlier.

The Super Eagles secured just three points from a possible twelve in their first four games.

“We lost a lot of momentum from the start of the qualification, dropped a lot of points, so we were just playing catch-up,” William Troost-Ekong explained.

By the time Eric Chelle was appointed in January 2025, the three-time African Champions were no longer in control of their own destiny and needed near-perfect results to keep their hopes alive. Still, Ekong lauded the coach’s impact.

“I think from the moment that Eric Chelle came in, the coach who’s in charge now, he did a fantastic job to put us back on track to get us to the play-offs.”

Why Ekong’s argument makes sense

Successful World Cup qualification campaigns are usually built on continuity. Teams like Morocco, Senegal, and Argentina have all benefited from stable coaching structures, long-term planning and a clearly defined football identity.

Nigeria had the opposite. The Super Eagles experienced multiple coaching changes during the qualifiers, forcing players to adapt to new ideas, systems and expectations in very little time.

Ekong’s comments also carry extra weight because he didn’t shift blame elsewhere. Instead, he openly acknowledged the collective failure.

Reflecting on the playoff loss, the defender admitted it was ‘tough for everyone’, but still believes the current squad has a bright future.

“I think the exciting part is that we have so many players who will still be a part of the team in four years.”

With stars such as Victor Osimhen, Ademola Lookman, Calvin Bassey and Alex Iwobi expected to remain key figures, the foundation for the future is already in place.

Meanwhile, Eric Chelle has brought in younger players like Femi Azeez, Emmanuel Fernandez, Tochukwu Nnadi and Abdullahi Bewene to balance experience and the age grade in the squad, which is why Ekong’s plea for patience with the Franco-Malian tactician is important.

After years of instability, Nigeria’s path back to the World Cup may depend less on finding new stars and more on providing the current coach with the stability that Jose Peseiro and Finidi George didn’t have.