Former Nigerian international Taye Taiwo has expressed disappointment with the Super Eagles struggling to qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

He made this known ahead of today’s Group C crucial showdown clash between Nigeria and Benin at the Godswill Akpabio Stadium, Uyo.

It’s the last match of the group phase for qualification, and Nigeria are currently in third place with 14 points, while Benin are at the top of the group with 17 and South Africa in second place with 15 points after nine games.

The Super Eagles must beat Benin and hope the game between South Africa and Rwanda goes in their favour, to pick the automatic ticket.

Reacting to the development, Taiwo, in a chat with Sporty TV, stated that the Super Eagles shouldn’t be struggling to qualify for the 2026 World Cup considering the array of talents at their disposal.

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“It’s a shame. Upon all the good players we have playing for good clubs, it’s a shame that we can’t make it to the World Cup,” Taiwo said. “We have a lot of good players; we have the quality to qualify. It’s just a minor thing that becomes a big thing for us.

“If you are going for the World Cup, you need to start early. Because for the World Cup, there is no time to wait for anybody. If you see Egypt and Tunisia, they started early — they won all their games.

“They can afford to rest players now. But for us, we can’t do that — we have to keep using the same players because we desperately need the points.”