Former Super Eagles captain Segun Odegbami says he is genuinely excited about the next generation of Nigerian footballers being assembled by head coach Eric Chelle, insisting that the Super Eagles would have been among the most dangerous sides at the 2026 FIFA World Cup had they qualified.
Writing in his column, Odegbami was direct about the scale of what Nigeria missed.
“I am missing Nigeria at the ongoing World Cup,” he wrote.
“If Nigeria had managed, somehow, to qualify and to be participating, the Super Eagles, under Eric Chelle, and with the increasing number of gifted Nigerian players caught in Eric’s scouting web around Europe these past few months, would have been one of the teams to beat in this World Cup.”
The assessment is not without foundation. Seven of Africa’s ten representatives at the 2026 World Cup have already secured places in the Round of 32, with Morocco, Egypt, Ghana, Senegal, Ivory Coast, Cape Verde and South Africa all confirmed at the time of this report. Both South Africa and DR Congo, the two sides that eliminated Nigeria during qualification, have performed creditably in the United States, Canada and Mexico, making Nigeria’s absence all the more difficult for supporters to accept.
Despite the frustration, Odegbami directed most of his attention toward what is being built rather than what was missed, expressing enthusiasm for the new faces Chelle has introduced into the national team environment since taking charge in March 2025.
Players including Tochukwu Nnadi, Arthur Okonkwo, Femi Azeez and Abdullahi Bewene have all been given opportunities in Chelle’s expanded squad, and the coach’s scouting network across Europe has continued to unearth fresh options.
“I am truly excited about the emerging new Eagles after the World Cup,” Odegbami wrote. “Their prospects in Africa and in the world in the next decade are very high and promise great excitement and success.”
With established stars such as Victor Osimhen, Ademola Lookman and Calvin Bassey already at the core of the squad and a promising new generation taking shape around them, Odegbami believes Nigeria could soon have the depth to compete with the finest teams in world football.
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