2026 World Cup: Why Osimhen, Lookman and other Super Eagles stars may regret failure to qualify

Gernot Rohr has described Nigeria’s absence from the 2026 FIFA World Cup as a “real pity,” insisting that the Super Eagles’ failure to qualify has robbed the tournament of some of its most exciting individual talent, Afrik Foot reports.

The German tactician guided the Super Eagles to the 2018 World Cup in Russia before being dismissed by the Nigeria Football Federation ahead of the AFCON 2021 tournament.

Morocco, Senegal, and Ivory Coast have all made impressive starts to the World Cup, prompting Rohr to reflect on what might have been, had Nigeria properly navigated a qualification campaign that ultimately ended in a painful penalty shootout defeat to DR Congo.

The Super Eagles possess enough quality to compete at the current World Cup, and the performances of their players at club level only underline how significant the absence is.

Paul Onuachu finished as top scorer in the Turkish Super Lig, while Victor Osimhen became Nigeria’s all-time leading UEFA Champions League scorer.

Rohr opines on Africa’s progress and Nigeria’s painful absence

The Franco-German tactician, who currently manages Benin Republic, was broadly encouraged by what he witnessed from African nations in the group stage games.

Morocco’s performance against Brazil and Senegal’s display against France both caught his eye, while Ivory Coast’s showing against Ecuador reinforced his belief that the gap between African football and its European and South American counterparts has narrowed significantly.

“From what I saw physically, in the two games featuring Morocco against Brazil and France against Senegal, as well as Ivory Coast against Ecuador, I think the African teams are doing well at the moment,” Rohr said in an interview with Footy Africa.

“Strategically, we are now on the same level as European or South American teams, which is great.

“The same goes for physical fitness. I think they are now on par with the standards in Europe. The organisation of the African teams now is much better than before.”

The 72-year-old was candid in his assessment of where the Super Eagles went wrong, pointing not to a lack of talent but to a failure of collective cohesion during the qualification campaign.

“I believe this is because when we faced them in the group stage, even though they had great individual players with immense quality, they simply didn’t play like a team early on and dropped too many points.

“It is truly a pity that major players like Osimhen, Chukwueze and Lookman are not here [at the World Cup] to be seen.

Strikes before major games, players arriving late to camp, and internal distractions all played a huge role in derailing the Super Eagles from their game, and the cost is that they have to watch the team that eliminated them from the Play-offs make history against Portugal.

Why Osimhen, Lookman and Super Eagles stars may regret World Cup failure

The timing of Nigeria’s absence makes it uniquely painful, because the 2026 World Cup represents what may be the peak window for the current generation of Super Eagles talent.

Osimhen is 27, and Lookman is 28. These are players in the best years of their careers, operating at clubs that have equipped them with the best tools to thrive.

The 2026 World Cup, with its expanded 48-team format offering more matches and more exposure than any previous edition, was precisely the stage their talent deserved.

Instead, they are watching Morocco and Senegal command the global stage while their own careers tick forward without the defining international moments that separate good players from legendary ones.

Osimhen has scored goals at several tiers of club football. Lookman has a historic Europa League hat-trick and AFCON memories, but neither player has ever played a World Cup match.

Instead, it is DR Congo, the team that beat Nigeria to get to the World Cup for the first time since 1972, who are writing history. The Super Eagles’ finest generation since the Class of 1994 will have to wait until 2030 for another chance.