Izuchukwu OkosiThree-time African champions Nigeria finished their 2023 international commitments with two dispirited draws against Lesotho and Zimbabwe in Group C of the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifying fixtures.
The team coached by Jose Peseiro will return for the third and fourth qualifiying games in June 2024 when they host South Africa and Benin Republic home and away respectively.
Prime Business Africa’s Izuchukwu Okosi here looks at the four takeaways from the games.
1. Super Eagles Miss Ndidi, Balogun, Osimhen
The Super Eagles did not prosecute the games against Lesotho and Zimbabwe with the players that could be described as the spine of the team.
Injuries simply kept away the duo of Wilfred Ndidi and Victor Osimhen while Leon Balogun is not on the good books of the head coach Jose Peseiro.
These players – and a few others – are needed to be in the team in the remainder of the qualifiying games.
2. The Eagles Must Turn The Tide Now
The team have already lost four points from a possible six and against teams that they are expected to beat.
Heading into the next round of qualifiers to the 2026 FIFA World Cup, the Eagles are condememd to win both home and away matches in June 2024 against South Africa and Benin Republic.
Both games. Not just one win, and not one draw, but two victories.
Any droped points which gives the likes of South Africa and Benin Republic the advantage could as well mean that the Nigerian flag may not be hoisted when 48 nations converge in the USA, Canada and Mexico for the next World Cup.
3. What Boniface Must Prove In The Super Eagles
Bayer Leverkusen striker Victor Boniface has not been able to score in four matches since he won his first cap for Nigeria albeit he has assisted a Samuel Chukwueze goal.
Boniface’s quality is never in doubt. He is a superb player and is only destined for bigger things.
However he needs to be prolific for the Nigeria national team and start scoring on a regular basis like his namesake and too scorer and 2023 Africa Footballer of the Year nominee, Victor Osimhen.
The emergence of Boniface as part of the team’s attacking setup has only boosted the status of Nigeria as boosting one of the most talented strikers in world football.
However, when/if Osimhen is not on the field, Boniface is good enough to step in as the team’s next likely goal scorer.
4. Ejuke, Yusuf, Orban, Ndah, Akor Need Their Chances
The quintet of Chidera Ejuke, Alhassan Yusuf, Gift Orban, Daniel Akor and Olisa Ndah are players who are doing excellently in Europe, and South Africa.
Ejuke and Yusuf are playing regularly for Belgian Pro side Royal Antwerp and are playing against some of the best players in the world in the group stages of the UEFA Champions League.
Gift Orban has proven in the Conference League that he is one of the fast rising young attacking players that have a lot to prove.
Olisa Ndah has continued to impress in the South African Premier League even as the Eagles defenders disappoint.
Daniel Akor is one of the revealations in the French Ligue 1amd it is shocking that he has not been invited even for a friendly despite his form.
Izuchukwu Okosi is a Nigerian sports and entertainment journalist with two decades of experience in the media industry having begun his media journey in 2002 as an intern at Mundial Sports International (MSI) and Africa Independent Television (AIT), owners of Daar Communications Plc.
In October 2004, Okosi joined Complete Communications Limited, publishers of Complete Sports newspaper and Complete Football magazine as a reporter and later script writer for the Complete Sports studio.
He worked there for 13 years until October 2017.
Okosi also worked various times as Correspondent, Content creator and Editor at Sports Market International Magazine, Opera News, All Nigeria Soccer Media and Iconic Media Watch.
He also undertook freelance writing gigs for some local and international organizations.
Okosi is a member of the Actors Guild of Nigeria (AGN), Association of Movie Producers (AMP), Association of Voiceover Artistes of Nigeria (AVOA), Sports Writers Association of Nigeria (SWAN) and Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ).
He has been part of cast in some Nollywood movies and radio dramas including Blood Money 2, Scores To Settle, Dead End 2, Another Campus Tale and Battle Line.
Aside mainstream media and the entertainment industry, he has interests in scouting/unearthing of talents in the sports and creative sectors, exports business and property development.
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