Super Eagles defender, William Troost-Ekong, is optimistic that the younger players in the national team will learn from the painful 2026 World Cup miss ahead of subsequent tournaments, PUNCH Sports Extra reports.
The 32-year-old defender and his teammates lost 4-3 on penalties to DR Congo in the final of the African play-off for the World Cup in Rabat, Morocco, on Sunday.
Despite scoring first, the Super Eagles endured a grueling 120 minutes of football at the Prince Moulay El Hassan Stadium.
The defeat condemned Nigeria to a consecutive World Cup miss (2022 and 2026), and Troost-Ekong, in his tone, ruled out the possibility of being in the next party as he commented on the future of the team.
“I think the boys stepped up. And it happens. I think they will learn so much from this moment, and I’m sure when the next moment comes, they will be better prepared and hopefully that will be a chance to make a difference,” Troost-Ekong told Pooja Media.
Including their first tournament in 1994, the Super Eagles have qualified for six World Cups (1998, 2022, 2010, 2014 and 2018). The highest finish at the tournaments is the round of 16, which they achieved on their debut in 1994, 1998 and 2014.
They have failed to qualify for the 2006, 2022, and now the 2026 editions.
The Nigeria Football Federation has described the latest failure as a moment of profound sadness for Nigerian football.
“The Nigeria Football Federation wishes to openly and sincerely apologise to His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu (GCFR), to the Federal Government as a whole, and to millions of Nigerians, most especially our passionate, loyal football fans, following the Super Eagles’ failure to qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup finals,” the body said in a statement.
“The NFF, the technical crew, and the players understand the gravity of this moment. We understand the expectations Nigerians rightly hold. We understand the passion and sacrifice of a country that has always stood firmly behind its team, through triumphs and trials. And we recognise that our collective effort did not deliver the outcome this nation deserved.”
Troost-Ekong and his teammates will regroup in less than a month for the 2025 AFCON, which will be played from December 21 to January 19, 2026.
