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Nigerian striker Victor Osimhen says the Super Eagles must prove they deserve to be called a “golden generation” after the team failed to reach the FIFA World Cup for the second consecutive time.
“Nigerians keep telling us we are a golden generation. But we have now failed twice in succession to qualify for the World Cup,” Osimhen told AFP.
“If we are that good, how come we keep failing? Now we have to return to Morocco and win the Cup of Nations.
“Our squad is packed with great Nigerians playing for some of the best clubs in Europe. The time has come to translate that greatness into trophies.”
Nigeria’s hopes of reaching the 2026 World Cup ended in Morocco when they lost on penalties to the Democratic Republic of Congo in a play-off final.
The defeat came just days after a commanding 4–1 win over Gabon in which Osimhen scored twice.
The Super Eagles had earlier finished behind South Africa in their qualifying group, entering the playoffs as one of the four best second-placed teams. It is the first time since 1990 that the Super Eagles have missed back-to-back World Cups.
Head coach Eric Chelle said the players feel the setback deeply, stating that “our players are suffering and we must find a cure. Instead of hurting, we must hurt our opponents.”
Chelle added, “My squad and I are under enormous pressure because there are about 230 million Nigerians — which means 230 million national coaches.
“I have avoided social media for some time to dodge the noise and concentrate on working with my technical staff.”
Nigeria head to the 2025 AFCON as top seeds in Group C, drawn alongside Tunisia, Uganda and Tanzania. All their group matches will be played in Fes. Their clash with Tunisia on December 27 is expected to determine the group winner.
“Tunisia has had an excellent year,” Chelle said, noting their recent draw against Brazil in France last month. He also warned that Uganda has improved consistently under Belgian coach Paul Put, and many of the Tanzanian players play in one of the strongest domestic leagues in Africa.
Meanwhile, Tunisia’s coach Samy Trabelsi described Nigeria as a “continental powerhouse with a vast pool of talent playing for top European clubs,” but said he is not dismissing the hopes of his own team.
“Anything is possible at AFCON. If we set our minds to it, we can achieve a lot. My target is at least a semi-finals place.”
