TheCable

Amaju Pinnick, former president of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), says the Super Eagles would have won the ongoing World Cup in Qatar if the country had qualified.

Pinnick, who was NFF president since 2014, was only replaced in September by Ibrahim Gusau.

Under his administration, Nigeria failed to qualify for the 2022 World Cup after Ghana pipped the country to the ticket.

Speaking with Arise TV on Thursday, Pinnick said the Eagles would have stunned the world if the team had booked a place in the competition.

He added that “Osimhen would have been like what Maradona was” in the 1986 World Cup.

The former NFF president also took responsibility for the country’s absence and apologised to Nigerians.

“There’s no day that I do not regret Nigeria not being at World Cup because this [Qatar 2022] could have been our tournament. Osimhen would have been like what Maradona was in 1986 in that World Cup,” Pinnick said.

“Like I told the African teams [like Senegal and Morocco], we want an African team to win it [the World Cup], but if you people don’t, Nigeria will be the first to win it, maybe in the next World Cup.

“When they are playing on the field, I take them as Nigerian. And again, I will apologise to Nigerians and I take responsibility as the then president of the federation, but I believe we have gone beyond that now.

“Let us enjoy the World Cup. Qatar has given us a wonderful spectacle to behold, and I believe we should enjoy it. I am a proud Nigerian and I’m happy to be here to represent the country with dignity at any time.”

The 2022 World Cup has recorded several upsets, with some pre-tournament favourites getting defeated by smaller teams.

Senegal is the first African country to qualify for the second round of the competition while Tunisia defeated France, the defending champions.

All the remaining African representatives — Morocco, Ghana, Cameroon — have a chance of advancing to the knockout stages.