Former Fenerbahçe defender Chikelue Iloenyosi has placed the blame for Nigeria’s failure to qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup squarely on the Super Eagles players, insisting they must accept responsibility for missing out on football’s biggest tournament.

Nigeria’s absence from the 2026 finals means the three-time African champions will miss a second consecutive World Cup after also failing to qualify for the 2022 edition in Qatar.

Despite being drawn alongside Rwanda, South Africa, Zimbabwe, Lesotho and the Republic of Benin in the qualifying series, the Super Eagles were unable to secure a place at the tournament, leaving many supporters stunned given the wealth of talent available in the squad.

Speaking on the AySuga Channel, Iloenyosi dismissed suggestions that he was pleased with the outcome, stressing that the disappointment is deeply felt by the players themselves.

“How can I be happy? Players are feeling very, very bad, of course. If they have a chance to be in the World Cup, they will be in the World Cup to prove themselves,” he said.

The former defender noted that missing the tournament could prove particularly painful for some senior members of the squad, who may never get another opportunity to play on football’s biggest stage.

“Some people in the national team might not see the World Cup again because of their age. I’m not happy we did not qualify for the World Cup because we’ve gotten a coach that came to stabilise the team.”

Iloenyosi, however, argued that the responsibility ultimately lies with the players, pointing to their own reactions following the failed qualification campaign.

“If you see the standard of the games we are playing now, you can know the coach wants the team to improve. Unfortunately, we did not qualify for the World Cup.

“Why we did not qualify for the World Cup is the players. It’s the fault of the players because you can see the games, they are even blaming themselves. They are not happy.”

Nigeria has qualified for the FIFA World Cup six times in its history, with its most recent appearance coming at the 2018 tournament in Russia. The failure to reach the 2026 finals means stars such as Victor Osimhen, Ademola Lookman, Alex Iwobi, and Moses Simon will miss the opportunity to represent the country on the global stage unless the Super Eagles qualify for the next edition in 2030.