November 18, (THEWILL) – The Super Eagles’ disappointing 1-1 draw against Lesotho in their first 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifier has drawn criticism from Nigeria’s Minister of Sports Development, Sen. John Owan-Enoh. In a statement on Friday, the Minister expressed concern over the national team’s performance on Thursday night in Uyo, which he said fell short of expectations.
Owan-Enoh, who watched the match live at the stadium, said the result was unacceptable given the importance Nigeria places on qualifying for the 2026 tournament after missing out on the 2022 World Cup. He charged the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) and the team’s technical crew to urgently address the lapses on display against Lesotho before Sunday’s crucial match against Zimbabwe in Rwanda.
The Minister urged the NFF to register Nigeria’s dissatisfaction with FIFA over broadcasting limitations that prevented many Nigerians from watching the match in their own country. He said it was unacceptable that the qualifier, organised by FIFA, could not be televised nationally.
While calling on Nigerians to continue supporting the team, Owan-Enoh demanded sharper gameplay from the Super Eagles throughout the rest of the qualifying campaign. He stressed that qualifying for the 2026 World Cup was non-negotiable.
The Super Eagles will be hoping to bounce back from their underwhelming start when they take on Zimbabwe on Sunday, in a match crucial to getting their World Cup qualifying hopes back on track.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
