Nigeria’s hopes of qualifying for the 2026 World Cup have been severely dented following a 2-1 defeat to Benin, leaving the Super Eagles winless after four qualifying matches.
Despite Raphael Onyedika’s quality opener in the 28th minute that gave Nigeria a promising lead, the team quickly fell short by conceding two goals before halftime. It failed to mount a comeback in the second half.
The loss is the first under new Nigeria Coach, Finidi George, in only his second match.
However, George’s tactical decisions are beginning to raise eyebrows amongst fans.
This has been intensified by his decision to leave key players Victor Boniface and Frank Onyeka on the bench for the second consecutive match following a 1-1 draw with South Africa.
Many fans on social media complain of the Super Eagles being disjointed and error-prone, with defensive lapses and a lack of offensive cohesion.
However, today’s defeat leaves Nigeria in a precarious position, three points behind four teams in the six-team group.
With only the group winner securing an automatic spot at the 2026 World Cup and just four of the nine second-place finishers entering a playoff for one more place, the Super Eagles face an uphill battle.
With six matches remaining, Nigeria cannot afford further missteps but slightly improves.
Adding to the controversy, the match began with the old national anthem played for the Super Eagles at the beginning of the game.
They played the Old National anthem for super Eagles players 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣😂🤣😂🤣😂🤣😂🤣😂🤣#SoarSuperEagles
— ỌjịUgo™️🍫👁️🗨️ (@OjiUgo_nwa) June 10, 2024
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