Former Super Eagles Technical Adviser, Jo Bonfrere, has called on the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) to redirect its attention towards a long-term developmental strategy for the 2030 and 2034 FIFA World Cups, following the team’s inability to qualify for the 2026 tournament.
It is unarguably that the ‘giant of Africa’ Nigeria will miss a second consecutive World Cup when the 48-team tournament commences this June across Canada, Mexico, and the United States.
The Super Eagles’ journey to 2026 was halted last November after a crucial playoff defeat to the Democratic Republic of Congo.
This came after the team’s earlier disappointment in 2022, where they were ousted by their long-standing rivals Ghana on the away-goals rule in Abuja.
In an interview on Monday, the coach who led the Atlanta 1996 Olympic team to gold insisted that the current technical staff, headed by Éric Chelle, must move beyond the recent disappointment and initiate immediate structural planning.
“The Super Eagles must leave the 2026 World Cup disappointment behind,” Bonfrere remarked. “Preparation for 2030 and 2034 needs to commence now.
Achieving success is not a swift process; it necessitates a decade of planning.”
Bonfrere stressed that early scouting and the incorporation of younger talent into the national framework are essential if Nigeria aims to re-establish itself as a competitive force on the global stage in four years.
