Poor preparation behind Nigeria’s World Cup qualification woes – Dimeji Lawal

Former Nigeria international Dimeji Lawal has blamed the Super Eagles’ recent failures to qualify for the FIFA World Cup on inadequate preparation rather than a shortage of talent.

Lawal made the remarks following Nigeria’s 2–2 draw with the Jordan national football team, insisting that the country possesses enough quality players to compete at the highest level but continues to fall short due to weak planning.

He argued that the calibre of friendly matches arranged for the national team highlights deeper structural issues within Nigerian football, particularly the lack of strong opposition to properly test the squad.

According to him, facing lower-ranked teams does little to sharpen the team ahead of major competitions, limiting their ability to perform when it matters most.

“Using Jordan and Iran as a yardstick to judge your team, I don’t think we are serious. That’s just the truth: I must confess to you that, in any form, you can’t compare Jordan to our team.

“Like I keep saying, our problem is our preparation. We have the talent, the players and everything to excel, but our preparation is always lacklustre. I don’t think it’s meaningful. Why don’t we look for teams that will prepare us for that tax and give us that challenge, so when the qualification starts, we will be able to measure up.“

Lawal concluded that unless Nigeria improves its approach to preparation and consistently faces stronger opponents, the national team risks repeating its struggles on the international stage.