Only A Miracle Will Take Nigeria To 2026 World Cup, Musa Declares

Super Eagles captain, Ahmed Musa, has admitted that it will take a miracle for Nigeria’s senior national football team, Super Eagles, to be at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, saying the team right now are in deep shits.

He said FIFA decisions on Lesotho’s petition against South Africa over Teboho Mokoena’s ineligibility in their 2-0 defeat to Bafana Bafana in March 2024 is the only remaining chances for Nigeria participation in the next coming World Cup in Canada, Mexico and USA.

“Only miracle would take Nigeria to the World Cup, because right now we are in deep shits,” Ahmed Musa declared.

Musa, who stated this during his maiden press conference as the new general manager Kano Pillars, explained that if FIFA cancelled the South Africa win and awarded victory to Lesotho, South Africa will lose three points in the race for the automatic spot in the group. South Africa currently top the log with 13 points from six matches, with Rwanda and Benin Republic occupying second spot with eight points respectively, while Nigeria is fourth with seven points. Lesotho and Zimbabwe are fifth and sixth with six points and four points respectively.

“Well we are hopeful that we will make it to the World Cup but right now honestly we are in a deep sheet. Only a miracle would take Nigeria to the Tournament,” Musa said.

Meanwhile, Super Eagles have dropped from 43rd to 44th position in the latest World ranking released by FIFA on their website yesterday.

In Africa the Super Eagles occupy fifth spot, at number one is Morocco who are 12th in the world, in second place is Senegal (18th in the world), Egypt are third (34th in the world), in fourth spot is Algeria (36th in the world).

Rwanda, who will be guests to the Super Eagles on matchday 7 of the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers, climb up to 127th, while matchday 8 opponents South Africa maintain 56th place.

The Super Eagles posted impressive results during the international break in the months of May and June.

At the 2025 Unity Cup in London in May, the Eric Chelle-led side were crowned champions after victories against Black Stars of Ghana and Jamaica.

Then in early June, the team faced Russia in an international friendly match in Moscow which ended 1-1.

Despite these impressive results, it did not positively impact the team’s position in the latest FIFA ranking.

However, the Super Eagles remained Africa’s highest ever ranked team when they climbed up to fifth place in April 1994.

Meanwhile, there is no movement at the summit as FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 winners Argentina remain in pole position, with Spain (2nd) and France (3rd) still their closest challengers and England and Brazil continuing to round off the top five in that order.

The next edition of the men’s World Ranking will be published on 18 September 2025.