Paul Onuachu says Nigeria’s failure to qualify for the 2026 World Cup cannot be allowed to define a squad he believes contains players of the highest quality, insisting the Super Eagles are capable of competing with anyone in the world, PUNCH Sports Extra reports.
The Trabzonspor striker was speaking before the team’s friendly against Poland, with Nigeria now preparing to face Portugal in their second international friendly of the window following an earlier Unity Cup success.
Onuachu acknowledged the pain of missing out on the tournament but said football demanded that the group move forward.
“Sad we are not going to the World Cup because we have good players, great players, world-class players, but unfortunately we are not going to the World Cup — but it is football,” he told NFF Tv.
“It is always nice to come around the team, meet the boys again, and we are ready, prepared, and we have the quality to play against any team in the world. Hopefully, we are going to show it against Portugal.”
Onuachu’s words carry added weight given his own remarkable personal resurgence. After a difficult spell at Southampton, where he managed just four goals in 36 appearances, he joined Trabzonspor on loan in 2023 and immediately rediscovered his best form, scoring 15 goals in 21 league matches.
He has since made the move permanent and finished the 2025/26 Turkish Süper Lig season as joint-top scorer, claiming the Golden Boot with 22 goals in 30 appearances.
The 29-year-old said finding a club that understood his game had been the key to his revival.
“When you are in a team that plays to your strength, who knows your quality, everything will always work out,” he said.
“I knew what the team wanted, what the city wanted.”
He also revealed that he had made a public promise to Trabzonspor’s supporters before signing permanently, saying, “Even before I made the transfer, I made a video for the fans and told them I was coming back stronger and better, that we had unfinished business from my loan spell.
“I think I fulfilled what I said. So, I was good.”
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