Former Nigerian international and versatile player Garba Lawal has urged the Super Eagles to draw inspiration from the Super Falcons’ remarkable comeback victory in the 13th Women’s Africa Cup of Nations final against Morocco if they wish to qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Nigeria’s Eagles will resume their World Cup qualifying campaign next week with double-header matches against Rwanda and South Africa.
The Eagles will host Rwanda at the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium in Uyo on 3rd September, before travelling to Bloemfontein three days later to face Group C leaders South Africa. Both matches are must-win for Nigeria.
South Africa currently tops the group with 13 points from six matches, while Nigeria sits in fourth place with seven points following a disappointing run of one win, four draws, and one defeat.
Despite a rocky start, the team, led by Coach Eric Chelle, still has a slim chance in the race, with four fixtures left to play. Garba Lawal believes that if the team emulates the fighting spirit and resilience of their female counterparts, they could secure a ticket to the World Cup at South Africa’s expense.
“I admire their resilience; they were incredible. In football, you need to believe in your quality and ability, and sometimes add resilience. If you lack resilience, you can’t win games.
“They were two goals down and managed to come back to win the game 3-2. That demonstrates their character, resilience, and how fantastic they are.
I appreciated the way they approached all their games, which is why they were unbeaten and won the final.
“The Super Eagles need to learn from the Super Falcons’ resilience and tactical discipline,” Garba Lawal told LEADERSHIP Sunday Sports.
“We still have a chance to qualify for the World Cup because in football, it is not over until it is truly over. We all witnessed what happened in Morocco; the Super Falcons were two goals down but came back in the second half to win 3-2. The Super Eagles can still qualify, but they must demonstrate discipline and resilience. Resilience is the key word.”
After the September double-header against Rwanda and South Africa, Nigeria will face Lesotho in an away match before concluding the campaign with a home match against Benin in October.
The Eagles will need to secure maximum points against Rwanda in Uyo and South Africa in Bloemfontein to revive their qualification hopes and close the six-point gap with South Africa, who are aiming to return to the global stage for the first time since 2010.
Nigeria, three-time African champions, is striving to reach their seventh World Cup finals, having missed the 2022 edition in Qatar.
