Coach of the senior national team of Benin Republic Gernot Rohr says the Super Eagles of Nigeria can still make it to the 2026 World Cup despite their precarious position behind his team, South Africa and Rwanda respectively in their group, OwnGooalNigeria.com reports.
Nigeria are 5th in the six team group without a win in their opening four games of the series, they are four points behind leaders Rwanda and South Africa who are separated by goal difference.
The qualifiers will resume in March with the Super Eagles travelling to Rwanda before hosting Zimbabwe. With six games left in the qualifiers Rohr whose team are also on 7 points, four more than Nigeria is refusing to rule the Super Eagles out of the race.
“They (Super Eagles) cannot afford to miss out of two consecutive FIFA World Cups and that is why I believe strongly they can still bounce back in the race for the 2026 World cup,” Rohr, who led Nigeria to her last Mundial appearance at Russia 2018, told NationSports after helping Benin to qualify for the AFCON for the first time since their last appearance in 2019.
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He went ahead to explain what the team will have to do in order to be at the word cup citing their superior player quality as an edge, but says they have to show a fighting spirit and hopefully get a result in South Africa.
“Of course, the Super Eagles can still do it (qualify for World Cup 26),” the former Bordeaux coach further said.
“There are six more games to play for each of the teams in our group and that means anything is still possible, because you have to be the first team to automatically qualify while being second can still give you a chance.
“Nigeria has the best collection of players out there but they should really be focussed if they want to qualify.
“They must have the good fighting spirit to be able to do that … they still have to go to South Africa and other difficult countries and it is not going to be easy there.
“But I think they can still do it.”
Mohammed Mowiz Suleiman
