Former captain of Nigeria’s Super Eagles, William Troost-Ekong has declared that missing out on consecutive World Cups must serve as the ultimate catalyst for positive structural change within the national team setup.
The heavy reality set in after the three-time African champions suffered a painful heartbreak, losing on penalties to the Democratic Republic of Congo in the final of the African playoff qualifiers.
This devastating defeat extends the country’s painful absence from the global stage, with Nigeria’s last appearance at the FIFA World Cup dating back to the 2018 tournament hosted by Russia.
Troost-Ekong stressed that it is now absolutely critical for the Nigeria Football Federation, NFF, to put a bulletproof blueprint in place to guarantee the Super Eagles qualify for the 2030 edition.
“It would have been wonderful to see them compete, but I also think this serves as an important lesson,” Troost-Ekong frankly told SuperSport in an interview.
The veteran defender concluded, “We need to reflect on our preparation and identify what needs to change in order to reach the next level ahead of the next World Cup.”
