Former Super Falcons midfielder Mercy Akide has attributed the Super Eagles’ failure to qualify for this year’s FIFA World Cup to frequent changes in the team’s managerial setup, SportPremi reports.
Nigeria suffered a penalty shootout loss to the Democratic Republic of Congo in the playoffs final in November 2025, which ultimately cost them a place at the World Cup tournament.
The Super Eagles would have qualified for the intercontinental playoffs had they won the match and would just be another win away from the tournament.
Instead, it is now consecutive World Cup tournaments that they will be absent from after they also missed out on qualification for the 2022 edition.
Finidi George and Austin Eguavoen, were unable to guide the team to victory in the first few qualifying matches until the arrival of Eric Chelle last January.
The Franco-Malian turned things around and led the team to a second-placed finish which eventually qualified them for the playoffs.
Akide opens up on Nigeria’s World Cup setbacks
Mercy Akide, who won the inaugural CAF Women’s footballer of the year award in 2001, opened up about Nigeria’s recent failure to qualify for the World Cup.
According to the three-time African Women’s Championship gold medalist, the constant managerial changes unsettled the team, causing them to miss out on the World Cup.
“When you have too many cooks in one pot, the soup tends to have too much salt or too much pepper”, Akide revealed.
“Before Eric [Chelle] took over the team, we had four coaches who tried to qualify Nigeria for the World Cup. You don’t do that to a team. Yes, the boys are professional in their clubs, but they’re not all together in the Nigerian team. There’s no team chemistry; they all came with individual play.
“So, when you call them a week or two before the tournament, it’s not enough. The boys look happy because they want to play for their country, but no one really knows what happened behind closed doors.
“Firing a coach after two games isn’t healthy for the players. Some players are wired differently to excel in different tactical atmospheres, but it’s not for everybody”, she added.
“Eric tried to patch the team, but it was too late. We needed the World Cup, but it didn’t happen. Give this team another four years, and watch what will happen.”
DR Congo, who eliminated Nigeria in the CAF playoff final will participate in the intercontinental playoffs when they face the winner of the clash between New Caledonia and Jamaica in March.
