The FIFA World Cup is the grandest stage on which countries converge every four years to compete in order to produce the best football nation in the world. Apart from the on-field entertainment usually produced by some of the most gifted players on earth, the world’s biggest and most followed football competition offers lucrative rewards for the teams that perform best. For instance, Argentina, the champions of the 2022 edition, which held in Qatar, took home a whopping $42m while France who finished second received $30m.
As a matter of fact, there is so much financial reward for every country that reaches the FIFA World Cup finals. This is because every nation that features in the tournament is entitled to a handsome cash reward. Apart from the cash prizes for the first, second, third, and fourth placed countries, FIFA gives cash rewards down to the group stage. So, even nations that fail to progress out of their respective groups smile to the ban.
In addition, FIFA pays each country that qualifies for the World Cup a participation fee of $1.5m, and as their teams progress through the knockout tournament, their earnings increase. The players who are the main actors are also captured in the largesse as they are guaranteed a percentage of the money that accrues to their countries. Interestingly, the world football governing body has ensured continuous increment in cash rewards at the tournament.
So, the prize and cash that is on offer at the World Cup are among the reasons that countries do everything humanly possible to qualify for the big tournament which features 32 teams from across the continents of the world. Nigeria being a powerhouse in Africa, and the world has been to six editions of the tournament beginning from 1994. The Super Eagles had a remarkable debut at USA ’94 where they reached the knockout stage at the first time of asking. From 1994 to date, they attended all editions except in 2006 and 2022 in Germany and Qatar, respectively.
Unfortunately, the three-time African champions are presently not sure of qualifying for the next edition of the World Cup to be co-hosted by Canada, Mexico, and the USA. At the moment, the Super Eagles who have failed to win a single match in the qualifiers are second from the bottom in Group C with only three points from four matches played so far. Surprisingly, lowly rated Rwanda are top the group on superior goal difference. They have seven points with South Africa and the Benin Republic, which occupy the second and third positions, respectively. Lesotho is placed fourth with five points while almighty Super Eagles are fifth, and Zimbabwe are last on the table with only two points.
Expectedly, there is fire on the mountain for the giant of Africa as the Super Eagles’ chances of qualifying for the 2026 World Cup are quite slim. Considering their good run at the last edition of the AFCON in Cote d’Ivoire, no one imagined that Nigeria would be in this quagmire so soon. Unfortunately, organisational failure, which has been the bane of the senior national team, has reared its ugly head again, and another World Cup mishap is looming. It is said that if the Super Eagles are to qualify, they must win all their remaining matches while hoping that misfortunes befall their group opponents.
However, they have a double-header with Rwanda who shocked them at home in their last match of the 2025 AFCON qualifiers and the Bafana Bafana of South Africa whom they forced to a 1-1 draw at home in the World Cup qualifiers. Therefore, there is no guarantee that the Super Eagles would scale these hurdles unscathed.
It is against this background that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has emulated the late President Umaru Yar’Adua who set up a Presidential Task Force in 2009 when Nigeria was about to miss out of the first-ever FIFA senior World Cup on African soil in 2010. With the support of the committee led by Rt. Hon. Rotimi Amaechi, the then Governor of Rivers State, the Super Eagles, qualified for the World Cup in South Africa. This time, a similar committee is coming up, but it has been named Presidential Support Group. According to credible sources, an influential governor from the South-west is going to lead 8 other members, including the president of the NFF, in the rescue mission.
As usual, when the news broke that a support group has been approved by Mr President for the 2026 World Cup qualifiers, it was received with mixed feelings. While some hailed it as a step in the right direction, others expressed concerns that it would lead to power tussle and unnecessary frictions. Well, anytime such a decision is taken, the NFF feels threatened and undermined. However, it will be suicidal to leave everything in the hands of the leadership of the NFF that seems overwhelmed by the World Cup qualification challenge.
Personally, I consider the decision to set up a support group as a timely intervention and not interference as perceived by some apologists of the NFF. The time has come for all hands to be on the deck for the Super Eagles to qualify for the 2026 World Cup. It is indeed worrisome that up till now, the Super Eagles are without a substantive coach. The NFF is still dilly-dallying over the appointment of a coach to lead the team in its remaining matches. These are some pressing needs that the support group can help the NFF to tackle decisively.
So, there is nothing wrong with the decision to set up a support group to help the NFF address some of the challenges that are likely to hinder the Super Eagles from a seventh appearance at the World Cup. Honestly, it will be gross injustice if Ademola Lookman, Africa’s best player, is denied the opportunity to showcase his talent on the world’s biggest stage in 2026.
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