Former Super Eagles’ striker, Aide Brown Ideye has issued another warning about Nigeria’s chances of qualifying for next year’s FIFA World Cup, as the outspoken star described the country’s remaining qualification games as ‘do or die matches.’
However, Sports247 reports that this time out, unlike his previous bold prediction that Nigeria will not qualify for the 2026 Mundial, Ideye is now of a view that all the players are ready to work harder in order reach the championship that will be co-hosted by Canada, USA and Mexico.
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Ideye, who is currently in a controversial face-off with the management of Enyimba FC of Aba, due to his allegations of poor payments during his single season with them in the Nigerian Professional Football League (NPFL), also cited the delayed hiring of a substative coach for the Eagles.
While blaming changes in the coaching department and rotation of players as the starting point of the Eagles’ current plight, Ideye also opined that a big mistake was that everyone underrated Nigeria’s qualification group opponents – South Africa, Lesotho, Rwanda, Benin Republic and Zimbabwe.
The lanky attacker, who played earlier played for Bayelsa United of Yenagoa Ocean Boys FC of Brass, recounted: “A lot of things went wrong. When we were reshuffling players and reshuffling coaches, we forgot that the team was going to be the one to pay for it.
“When the draw then came out, everybody felt we were in the easiest group for the qualifiers. For me, I feel we underrated some of these teams.”
As things stand in the Eagles’ qualification group, Nigeria lies fourth behind South Africa, Benin Republic and Rwanda, with Lesotho also posing a huge threat in fifth spot; a situation that Ideye blamed on laxity by the three-time African champions, while all others worked hard to upset them.
Ideye added, “We feel we can just walk over these teams and beat them easily. But, I know every team that is playing Nigeria will come with their A-game.
“They are not just coming to look and watch us walk past them. They also want to do everything to make sure they qualify for the World Cup.”
However, the ex-international striker, who played for Sochaux of France, Dynamo Kiev of Ukraine and West Bromwich Albion of England at the height of his career, concluded with a view that the Eagles have realised their error and the players will take their remaining four matches very seriously.
Ideye submitted tersely: “While we underrated most of these countries, they made us understand that football is not as easy as we think it is.
“Now that our players have seen it, I believe they will put everything behind them and face these last games that are coming up as do-or-die. They are very important for Nigeria to be at the World Cup.”
Sports247 notes that the Eagles will host Rwanda at the resumption of the World Cup qualifiers in September, then play away to South Africa in the same month; after which they visit Lesotho and welcome Benin Republic to end the race in October.
