It’s a shame –Taye Taiwo opens up on Nigeria’s World Cup qualification struggle

Former Nigeria defender Taye Taiwo has opened up on Nigeria’s disappointing performance in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers.

The West African football giants has endured a torrid World Cup qualification, winning just three games, drawing five and picking one defeat in nine appearances.

Nigeria will have to secure victory over Benin at all cost on Tuesday night to ensure their qualification aspirations remain intact.

Currently, Benin sit top of Group C with 17 points, needing a win to confirm their place for the biggest soccer mundial to be staged in the USA, Canada and Mexico next year.

Meanwhile, a draw could still be sufficient for Benin if South Africa fail to overcome Rwanda at Mbombela Stadium.

However, Taye Taiwo has strongly criticized the current Super Eagles following their disappointing performance in the qualifiers, describing the campaign “a shame.”

Taiwo, who played for Nigeria in the 2010 World Cup, stated that the team possesses enough talent and quality to qualify comfortably, pointing out the caliber of players like Victor Osimhen and Ademola Lookman.

“It’s a shame. Upon all the good players we have playing for good clubs, it’s a shame that we can’t make it to the World Cup,” Taiwo said. “We have a lot of good players; we have the quality to qualify. It’s just a minor thing that becomes a big thing for us.”

The former AC Milan player says it is a result of lack of early preparation and poor planning. He cited North African nations as better examples.

“If you are going for the World Cup, you need to start early… If you see Egypt and Tunisia, they started early, they won all their games,” he explained. “They can afford to rest players now. But for us, we can’t do that, we have to keep using the same players because we desperately need the points.”

The Super Eagles now face a must-win match against the Benin Republic in Uyo, with anything less than a victory effectively ending their bid for a spot in the 2026 tournament.