Former Super Eagles midfielder Duke Udi has congratulated South Africa’s Bafana Bafana on securing automatic qualification for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, describing their achievement as well-deserved.
Speaking after the final group games, Udi acknowledged that South Africa played the best brand of football throughout the qualifiers, showing tactical discipline and unity — qualities he said Nigeria must urgently rediscover.
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“Let’s be honest — South Africa deserve their qualification,” Udi said. “They played with structure, teamwork, and consistency. You could see a clear plan in every game, and that’s what football is all about.”
While commending Nigeria’s emphatic 4–0 win over Benin Republic, Udi lamented that such dominant performances came too late in the campaign. He argued that the Super Eagles’ biggest challenge remains their inability to play as a cohesive unit despite having some of the best individual talents in Africa.
“Nigeria always has the players, but not always the team. Against Benin, we saw what can happen when everyone works together — it was beautiful. But we must do that consistently, not only when under pressure,” Udi explained.
The former Nigeria international urged coach Eric Chelle to continue building on the current momentum, stressing that a strong team identity will be vital ahead of the playoff stage.
“The playoffs will be tougher. If we want to qualify for the World Cup, we must focus on team chemistry, discipline, and tactical awareness. We can’t depend on moments of brilliance alone,” he added.
Udi concluded by calling on Nigerians to keep faith in the team and support them through the next phase of qualification.
“We’ve seen improvement — now it’s time to build on it. The world still fears Nigerian football when we play as one,” he said.
