It’s uncanny, but I have a feeling that God actually planned it deliberately for the Super Eagles to be involved in the upcoming 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification play-offs.
That, to me, explains why the Super Eagles waited until the last game of the original qualifiers for them to rain goals on Benin Republic.
Read Also: Ademola Lookman Enters Tottenham Hotspur’s January Transfer Radar
As it were, many devout Christians use several nomenclatures to worship and celebrate God, one of which is that ‘He knows the end from the beginning.’
So, it suddenly occurred to me at the beginning of this week that God already knew that the Super Eagles would get to USA/Canada/Mexico 2026 via this novelty called Africa and intercontinental play-offs.
I guess you are already asking: Why would God choose a tedious path for our team to follow? For me, though you might tag this as a misadventure into blasphemy, I humbly state that God actually likes seeing dramatic things happen in all aspects of life – including football.
So, due to that quest for drama, God chose Nigeria as one of the tools to showcase His love for football and how exciting it can truly be … especially when it gets to the crunch (as it did for our Eagles).
The next question is: Why did God choose Nigeria? My next answer is simply that the presence of several world-renowned Muslim and Christian clerics in Nigeria qualifies us to be tagged as ‘God’s own country’ (well ahead of the USA).
Not only do the like of Adeboye, Kumuyi, Oyedepo, Oyakhilome, Olukoya, Idahosa, Muoka, Kukah, Oritsejafor et al flaunt God’s wondrous riches, they also draw large Christian crowds.
The same applies with a number of Islamic denominations spread across the country, all of which also draw huge crowds at their prayer grounds every Friday and on Sallah Day.
So, God’s eyes are bound to be on Nigeria at each point in time, and He can decide at any moment to ensure all things bright and beautiful come to our country one way or the other.
You may now ask, What’s bright and beautiful about the World Cup play-offs? Or, better still, what do the Super Eagles stand to gain from featuring at both mini-competitions?
For me, there is not just one answer to that question, but many – all of which paint a positive picture for what would ordinarily have been a mockery for Nigeria, but which I bet many football fans from other countries are now wishing their team could be part of.
Yes, all things work together for good to those who love God and all lines fall into pleasant places. So, the Super Eagles now have the opportunity to play two top-notch matches as part of their preparations for the forthcoming Africa Cup of Nations.
While other countries will be either in slumber or frantically hunt around for friendly matches to simulate their preparations, we have a REAL competition to keep us on our toes.
While football fans in other countries will thirst for more matches to see their players in national team action, we have two games coming up on a platter of gold; and all Nigerian fans will be happy watching the Super Eagles tango Gabon on Thursday!
At the same time, we in the media have more stories to write and talk about, more previews to splash across the world wide web and airwaves, while also smiling to the bank with unexpected profit from this upcoming competition no one ever thought about until the fading days of the original qualifiers.
The mention of profit reminds me of the words spoken by National Sports Commission (NSC) chairman, Mallam Shehu Dikko, as he promised that the Super Eagles’ players will be paid ‘special bonuses’ for each match that they play in both levels of the upcoming World Cup qualification play-offs.
So, who wants to continue arguing that this route is a ridicule rather than a blessing?
Well, for the discerning mind, the fact that our team actually scored the exact number of four goals that they needed in order to qualify for the play-offs is another proof that it’s the hand of God that has taken us there.
Imagine a team that previously struggled to score single goals at home against the lowly sides of Lesotho and Zimvabwe (with all due respect) suddenly raining four on an opponent that needed just a draw to pull off the biggest achievement in the annals of their football odyssey. If that’s not a miracle, then you need Elijah to rise up and bring down fire afresh.
So, in the final analysis, I celebrate positives of the impending play-off contest in Morocco, not just as a second chance to qualify for the first ever World Cup to be co-hosted by three countries, but as hidden treasure that was divinely ordained from the beginning and now offers us Six Super Benefits:
1. For Nigeria to make history by being part of two first ever mini-competions in the World Cup qualification play-offs.
2. To keep our team busy and focused while others sleep.
3. Help us start preparations early for the Africa Cup of Nations.
4. Keep the fans and media excited, anticipating and reeling in permutations.
5. Bring in more money for various sectors of the sporting fraternity (betting, branding, travelling, viewing centres, merchandise providers, commercial slots, endorsements, broadcast rights, etc).
6. Provide another opportunity for Nigeria as a country to use football as a potent tool in flaunting its image internationally as the reemergng Giant of Africa.
The only caveat, though, is (as Alex Iwobi put it): Super Eagles must beat Gabon on Thursday, win the final on November 16th, then be victorious again in Mexico come March 2026 … and we’ll all be singing Hallelujah in Uncle Sam’s Country.
