Sani Ahmed Toro expresses confidence in Super Eagles’ 2026 World Cup qualification

Former Secretary General of the defunct Nigeria Football Association (NFA), Alhaji Sani Ahmed Toro, has allayed fears surrounding the Super Eagles’ chances of qualifying for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, set to be co-hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico.

The Super Eagles  were notably absent from the 2022 World Cup in Qatar after failing to secure a spot, losing out to Ghana in a crucial playoff. Currently, Nigeria sits in fifth place in Group C of the World Cup qualifiers, having earned just three points from four matches. The team is trailing Rwanda, South Africa, and Benin, each of whom has accumulated seven points.

Nigeria will resume their World Cup qualifying campaign on March 17 with a pivotal match against group leaders Rwanda in Kigali, before hosting Zimbabwe.

Despite the team’s current position, Toro remains optimistic. He believes that with the right adjustments, the Super Eagles still have a strong chance of qualifying. “We can still qualify. All we need to do is to put our house in order.

The NFF must sit up in terms of logistics. The new coach has to work with indigenous coaches, especially with Technical Director, Austin Eguavoen.

He does not know most of the players and needs to lean more towards Eguavoen to get the best,” Toro said.

The Bauchi-born administrator also acknowledged the challenge posed by South Africa, currently ahead of Nigeria in the standings. “The President of CAF is South African. They have good administration and they’re playing good football. They are ahead of Nigeria currently and will do everything to see that they pick the ticket,” Toro explained.

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However, Toro, who was Secretary General when Nigeria made its World Cup debut in the USA in 1994, is confident that Nigeria will find a way to qualify. “We’ll surprise the world and qualify. We always come to the party late. But once we are turned on, it’s difficult to let go,” he remarked.

When asked what would happen if Nigeria fails to qualify, Toro responded, “The coach goes.

We wait for the next World Cup. The NFF officials are elected. You cannot touch them.

The only thing is that it will be difficult for them to get re-elected. It won’t get to that.

We’ve got to support the team and support the NFF.

The World Cup is for Nigerians, and I’m happy that they have set up the Presidential Support Group (PSG) for the World Cup qualification. We know that all things work together for good to them that believe.”

Toro’s comments bring a sense of hope and determination as Nigeria continues its journey to the 2026 World Cup.