Lawal Calls for ‘Fresh Legs’ After Super Eagles Miss World Cup Again
Former Super Eagles midfielder Garba Lawal has called on the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) to inject younger players into the national team after the country failed to qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Nigeria’s campaign ended in heartbreak following a 4-3 penalty shootout defeat to the Democratic Republic of Congo. The match had finished 1-1 in regular time, but the Congolese secured their place in the Intercontinental playoffs. This marks the second straight World Cup the Super Eagles will miss after also failing to qualify for Qatar 2022.
Their latest exit has intensified calls for major changes, with many fans questioning the form and age of several senior players. Lawal, who featured for Nigeria at the 1998 and 2002 World Cups, joined the growing voices pushing for a rebuild.
Fresh legs should come into the Super Eagles because some of the current players are aging,” he said on Brila FM, adding that “if you want to bring in the fresh legs, it has to be now.
With their World Cup hopes gone, the Super Eagles must now regroup quickly ahead of next month’s Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers against Tunisia, Tanzania, and Uganda.
Enobong Ernest
Dailysports's expert
