Former Super Eagles goalkeeper Idah Peterside has challenged African football nations to adopt a winning mentality if they hope to become genuine contenders for the FIFA World Cup, insisting that merely qualifying for the tournament should no longer be considered an achievement.
Peterside’s comments come after Africa’s impressive representation at the expanded World Cup ended in disappointment, with only a handful of the continent’s teams progressing deep into the knockout stages despite strong expectations.
The former Nigeria international, who has consistently spoken on the need for a stronger mentality and better football management, believes the next step for African football is psychological rather than technical.
“Our mentality has to change. We shouldn’t be satisfied just by qualifying for the World Cup. African teams must go there believing they can win it,” Peterside said.
According to the former Super Eagles shot-stopper, many African teams still approach the tournament with the mindset of participants rather than genuine title contenders.
He argued that while the quality of African players has improved significantly, that progress must now be matched by greater belief, ambition and consistency against the world’s elite.
“The talent is there, but the mentality has to improve. We need to stop celebrating participation and start competing to become world champions,” he added.
Peterside also urged football administrators across the continent to continue investing in coaching, youth development and proper planning, insisting those areas will complement the growing pool of African talent.
With Morocco’s historic run to the 2022 FIFA World Cup semi-finals raising expectations for African football, Peterside believes the continent has already shown it can compete with the best. The next challenge, he said, is developing the mindset needed to consistently challenge for football’s biggest prize.
