AFCON 2025 playmaker Alex Iwobi remains hopeful that Nigeria\u2019s Super Eagles could yet secure a place at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, despite their current uncertainty in the qualification race.<\/p>\n
The Fulham midfielder admitted the national team is effectively in a state of \u201cwaiting\u201d as Nigeria holds out for a potential lifeline to the global showpiece in the United States, Canada and Mexico.<\/p>\n
Speaking in an interview with Supersport Football about the emotional weight of possibly missing the World Cup, Iwobi was confronted with a difficult hypothetical: would he rather lift the AFCON 2025 trophy or qualify for the World Cup?<\/p>\n
For the 29-year-old, who featured at Russia 2018, the answer goes beyond personal ambition and centres on the aspirations of his teammates.<\/p>\n
\u201cI mean we\u2019re still waiting, well hopefully we can go to the World Cup, but I feel it\u2019s a tough one. It\u2019s a tough one because within AFCONs like\u2026 It\u2019s a great legacy, it\u2019s a great thing to have like in your career, a memorable moment.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut then at the same time, because I\u2019ve been to the World Cup already, a lot of the players haven\u2019t been. They would like to say \u2018I want to go to the World Cup,\u2019 so I can\u2019t be selfish and say win the AFCON and for my teammates to not go to the World Cup. So it\u2019s a tough one. I don\u2019t know. I don\u2019t know.\u201d<\/p>\n
Iwobi\u2019s cautious optimism reflects the wider mood within the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), which is awaiting a decision from FIFA following its formal petition over Nigeria\u2019s World Cup qualification play-off defeat to the Democratic Republic of Congo.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe are still waiting. Hopefully we can go to the World Cup.\u201d<\/p>\n
Despite a painful penalty shootout loss to DR Congo at the Moulay Hassan Stadium in November, the <\/p>\n
Super Eagles\u2019 qualification hopes may not yet be extinguished.<\/p>\n
The NFF has petitioned FIFA, alleging that the Congolese team fielded up to six ineligible players during <\/p>\n
the decisive encounter. The federation\u2019s case centres on what it describes as a \u201cdual nationality trap\u201d, arguing that while FIFA regulations permit nationality switches, DR Congo\u2019s constitution prohibits dual citizenship.<\/p>\n
NFF General Secretary Dr Sanusi Mohammed insists the federation has a strong case.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re waiting. The Congolese rules say you cannot have dual citizenship or nationality. FIFA rules say once you have a passport of your country, you\u2019re eligible\u2026 But our concern is that FIFA was deceived into clearing them. What we are saying is that the process was fraudulent.\u201d<\/p>\n
Nigeria recently secured a bronze medal at AFCON 2025 in Morocco and are widely regarded as one of Africa\u2019s most talented squads.<\/p>\n
Vanguard News<\/p>\n
The post \u2018We are still waiting\u2019 \u2013 Iwobi hopes Super Eagles feature in 2026 World Cup appeared first on Vanguard News.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
AFCON 2025 playmaker Alex Iwobi remains hopeful that Nigeria\u2019s Super Eagles could yet secure a place at the 2026 FIFA … <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[22],"tags":[19],"class_list":["post-4527","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-african-news","tag-general-africa-top-news"],"yoast_head":"\n