The Super Eagles of Nigeria have vowed to “fight hard till the end” to secure qualification for the 2026 World Cup.
The team has shown uninspiring form during the initial stage of the World Cup qualification campaign.
Their poor performance has left them in fifth place in Group C, with only three points from four games.
The most recent setback was a 2-1 loss to Benin Republic on Monday, following previous draws against Lesotho, Zimbabwe, and South Africa.
Many Nigerians, particularly on social media, have criticized the Eagles and their technical staff for the disappointing results.
John Enoh, Minister of Sports Development, labeled the outcomes as “unacceptable.”
He summoned the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) to explain why there should not be consequences for the disappointment caused to both the government and the general public.
Reacting to the feedback, the Eagles, in a tweet on the team’s official X account on Tuesday, said they do not take the support of Nigerians for granted and have “resolved” to the “impossible.”
The players added they are also unhappy with the results and are ready to turn their fortunes around.
“We are back in the country and we are not happy about the way the two games panned out,” the tweet reads.
“We have had talks among ourselves and have resolved to fight hard till the end to ensure we do the impossible, which is qualifying for the 2026 World Cup. We don’t take your support for granted, we thank you immensely.”
The World Cup qualifiers will recommence in March 2025, with Nigeria visiting Rwanda before hosting Zimbabwe.
Following this, the team will host the return match against Rwanda before facing South Africa away in September 2025.
Subsequently, the Eagles will journey to Lesotho before concluding the qualifiers with a home match against Benin Republic in October 2025.
Nigeria’s bid for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar came to an end after a defeat to Ghana in the play-off.