AfriPulse
With the Super Eagles of Nigeria sitting third in their World Cup qualifying group on 11 points, the nation’s football fans are on edge.
Two matches remain, and only six points can keep hope alive. But beyond the anxiety of the moment lies a more pressing question: who is really to blame if the Super Eagles fail to qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup?
As frustration grows, the search for a scapegoat has already begun. Some fans blame Finidi George, the former head coach; a good number fault coach Eric Chelle. Others point fingers at the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), while a few still drag José Peseiro into the argument. But the truth is, Nigeria’s football problems go far deeper than any one man on the touchline.
For decades, the Super Eagles have been used as a patch to cover the cracks of a broken football structure. The obsession with short-term success has taken the place of long-term planning. Nigeria has tried to build footballing skyscrapers on foundations of sand and each time the structure collapses, we act surprised.
It has become a cycle: new coach, renewed hope, brief excitement, and eventual disappointment. Every failure sparks public outrage, but rarely the honest self-reflection the system needs.
The Finidi Factor
It’s easy to blame Finidi George. He managed only one point from two crucial games against South Africa and the Benin Republic, including Nigeria’s only loss of the qualifiers. But while his record looks poor, he became the latest casualty of a culture that demands miracles without providing the tools to achieve them.
Finidi inherited a squad that was not built to succeed. His predecessor, José Peseiro, struggled just as much, securing only two points against Zimbabwe and Lesotho, the weakest teams in the group. Yet, Finidi received harsher criticism, perhaps because he was local and expected to instantly fix years of neglect.
Finidi’s short stint exposed a national habit: when things go wrong, Nigeria prefers to attack the man in charge rather than confront the rot within.
Peseiro’s Share Of The Blame
To be fair, José Peseiro left Nigeria with more problems than progress. His team never developed a defined style of play. The run to the Africa Cup of Nations final gave the illusion of improvement, but the cracks were always visible. The system relied on individual brilliance, not structure.
When Finidi took over, he inherited a team used to improvising, not implementing. The results reflected that confusion. Peseiro, like many coaches before him, was another chapter in a story of inconsistency and mismanagement.
The NFF And The Real Problem
Beyond the pitch, the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) bears the greatest share of responsibility. The federation has failed to build a football system that nurtures talent, develops coaches, and provides continuity. Coaches come and go, but the underlying problems remain the same.
No clear football philosophy. No consistent youth development pathway. No scouting network is robust enough to discover and groom homegrown talent. The result is a national team that depends on moments of individual magic rather than a solid tactical foundation.
Every successful football nation is built on structure, not luck. Until Nigeria fixes its football governance, no coach, foreign or local, will succeed for long.
Looking forward, if the Super Eagles fail to qualify for the 2026 World Cup, the blame should not rest on Finidi George, José Peseiro, or even the current coach, Eric Chelle. The real blame lies with a system that has refused to evolve.
Nigeria’s football doesn’t need another saviour. It needs reform: honest, deliberate, and sustained. Until that happens, the Super Eagles will remain trapped in the same cycle of hope and heartbreak.
For now, two matches remain and qualification is still possible. But even if the Super Eagles make it to the World Cup, the question will linger: how long can a team built on shaky ground continue to stand?
From 5 p.m. this evening, October 10, Nigerians will be watching with their fingers crossed as the Super Eagles take on Lesotho in South Africa, a game whose result might be inconsequential if first-placed Benin Republic and second-placed South Africa win their last two games of the qualifiers.
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