Mali’s national team head coach, Tom Saintfiet, has expressed concerns over the possibility of Nigeria’s Super Eagles failing to qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, calling it a major shock and disappointment.
In an interview with AySuga Naija Lifestyle, Saintfiet described Nigeria as Africa’s best team over the last four years, emphasizing that they must do everything necessary to secure their spot at the tournament.
“It will be sad if the strongest team in Africa doesn’t qualify. The Super Eagles have not only been dominant now but also over the last three or four years. They are the best team in Africa,” he said.
While acknowledging the strength of their rivals, particularly South Africa, Saintfiet insisted that Nigeria has the quality and talent to bounce back.
“With all due respect to their opponents, South Africa has a very good coach and a strong squad, but Nigeria has so much quality. They must recover the points they lost because, in that group, I believe they will qualify.”
Nigeria’s World Cup qualifying campaign has been far from ideal, with the team failing to win any of their first four matches. They currently sit 5th in Group C, trailing behind Rwanda, South Africa, Benin Republic, and Lesotho.
Under the leadership of their newly appointed head coach, Eric Chelle, the Super Eagles will be aiming to revive their campaign when they face Rwanda on Friday and Zimbabwe on Tuesday.
