Pinnick claims Super Eagles would qualify for 2026 World Cup

Published

8 months ago

January 30, 2026

Amaju Pinnick says the Super Eagles would have reached the 2026 World Cup under his leadership, citing Africa’s expanded slots

Former Nigeria Football Federation president Amaju Melvin Pinnick has said the Super Eagles would have qualified for the 2026 FIFA World Cup if he were still in charge of Nigerian football.

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Amaju Pinnick, who served as NFF president from October 2014 to October 2022, made the assertion during an appearance on Sunday Oliseh’s Global Football Insights show.

The former CAF vice president expressed surprise that Nigeria failed to capitalise on the expanded World Cup format, which provides Africa with up to 10 qualification slots.

Amaju Pinnick said the scale of Africa’s representation made Nigeria’s current position unexpected.

He recalled Nigeria’s successful qualification for the 2018 World Cup in Russia, which he described as one of the toughest African qualifying campaigns.

Amaju Pinnick said the Super Eagles emerged from a group that included reigning African champions and former continental winners.

He noted that Nigeria sealed qualification with two matches to spare despite being considered outsiders at the start of the campaign.

Reflecting on Nigeria’s failure to reach the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, Amaju Pinnick said the Super Eagles were eliminated by Ghana on the away goals rule after two closely contested playoff matches.

He said he accepted responsibility for that outcome and maintained the same position now.

Amaju Pinnick said the 2018 qualification was achieved through intense preparation, discipline and resilience, which he described as decisive factors.

The former NFF president added that Nigeria’s pedigree and depth should have delivered qualification under the current World Cup structure.

Also read: Rotary Club of Ikeja Township Trains Primary School Pupils in Vocational Skills

Nigeria is seeking a return to the World Cup after missing the Qatar 2022 tournament.

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Why Are Football Fans Expecting Trophy Haul from Man City’s 114 Breaches?

Published

11 hours ago

September 30, 2026

Mariam Balogun

By Tai Emeka Obasi,

It is exceedingly terrible for clubs operating in a league as supremely elite as the English Premier League, EPL, to fraudulently cheat themselves to massive success.

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Rules are rules, and supposedly responsible club managements should comply with them in administering a game termed the beautiful game.

Manchester City is currently in the eye of the storm for all the wrong reasons.

A whopping 115 breaches were brought against the club, with reports now indicating that an independent commission found City guilty of 114 of them.

The club, however, maintains that the Premier League process remains ongoing, with significant elements still to be completed and subject to strict confidentiality.

Manchester City chairman, Khaldoon Al Mubarak, has appealed to the fans to remain calm and faithful, insisting that the club will continue to defend its position and pursue the available legal process.

According to reports, Manchester City is expected to appeal the verdict. The sanctions have not yet been announced, and the possible consequences could include a heavy fine, points deduction, stripping of titles or even relegation.

From the available reporting, however, there is no basis for football fans to start celebrating the prospect of receiving Manchester City’s trophies.

Even if titles were eventually stripped, the relevant period under investigation is 2009 to 2018.

During that period, Manchester City won three Premier League titles, in 2011/12, 2013/14 and 2017/18, as well as three League Cups, in 2013/14, 2015/16 and 2017/18.

That immediately puts a different complexion on the matter.

For instance, Manchester United finished runners-up to City in the 2011/12 and 2017/18 Premier League seasons, while Liverpool finished second in 2013/14.

But whether those titles would actually be reassigned to the runners-up is another matter entirely.

There is no automatic rule that says a stripped title simply moves to the team that finished second. Any such outcome would depend on the eventual sanction imposed by the relevant authorities.

The same applies to Arsenal and the League Cup. Arsenal were beaten by City in the 2018 final, but that does not mean Arsenal would automatically inherit the trophy if City were sanctioned.

Expert opinion has suggested that the eventual punishment could include a substantial financial penalty and a huge points deduction, potentially severe enough to threaten City with relegation.

But until the sanction is formally determined, nobody can say with certainty what punishment Manchester City will receive.

For Gunners fans, therefore, we should lower our expectations from City’s debacle. Even if Manchester City are eventually found guilty after the appeal process and even if they are relegated, Arsenal will not stroll to this season’s title.

Our last match against Brighton and Hove Albion is a huge warning that our squad is not as complete as it is generally acclaimed to be.