Stanley Nwabali in action in the final of the African World Cup playoffs
Stanley Nwabali said the Super Eagles “did our best for the badge” throughout their quest to qualify for the 2026 World Cup.
The Super Eagles failed to qualify for the World Cup after losing to DR Congo 4-3 on penalties in the final of the African playoffs. The match had ended 1-1 after extra time.
Nwabali saved two kicks in the shootout, but it was not enough to cancel out misses from Calvin Bassey, Moses Simon and Semi Ajayi.
Chancel Mbemba scored the winning penalty kick to send the DR Congo into the intercontinental playoffs for the World Cup.
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In a post on Instagram after the match, Nwabali said he was once a fan of the Super Eagles and understands “how it feels giving you a disappointing night”.
He added that the team’s “best wasn’t enough” and the players “take full responsibility”.
“Painful! We all did our best for the badge, though our best wasn’t enough,” the post reads.
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“I was once a fan and understand how it feels giving you a disappointing night, we take full responsibility.”
The Super Eagles also missed out on the 2022 World Cup. It is the first time Nigeria have failed to qualify for two consecutive World Cups since the country’s debut in 1994.
Controversies marred Nigeria’s preparations for the playoffs.
The Eagles boycotted one of their training sessions in protest of unpaid allowances. The players refused to train until 24 hours later, after their demands were met by the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF).
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