Former Super Eagles assistant coach, Simon Kalika, has said the absence of Nigeria from the 2026 FIFA World Cup will reduce the overall appeal of the tournament.
Kalika made the comments while likening the Super Eagles to global heavyweights such as Brazil and Spain, insisting that competitions of this magnitude suffer when teams with flair and talent are missing.
According to him, many Nigerian players are regulars at top European clubs and consistently entertain fans whenever they appear on the world stage.
“These players perform every week at the highest level in Europe, and whenever they come together, they bring excitement to the World Cup,” Kalika said in an interview with Complete Sports.
He added that failing to qualify is equivalent to hiding Nigeria’s football talent from the rest of the world.
“When Nigeria is not at the World Cup, it’s like covering a precious treasure. The tournament loses part of its beauty, its commercial value, and even its excitement,” he explained.
Kalika stressed that countries like Nigeria, Brazil and Spain naturally raise the standard of any competition they feature in.
“Nigeria has the quality and depth to always be part of the World Cup. The tournament simply feels incomplete without them,” he concluded.
Should we send you latest update about your favourite sports and team?
Enter you email in the box below and hit the subscribe button to join our teaming 876+ sports community.
