Today is Matchday. Not of the regular Enyimba hue, but a nation’s quest to be among the gathering of the best footballing countries at the 2026 World Cup in the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
This is one of those rare moments when our patriotic bones come alive, and when Enyimba related articles take a respectful back seat on this blog.
If you are still wondering what I am driving at, here it is. Later today, the Super Eagles will take another shot at securing a World Cup ticket through a two layered playoff phase. We are here because we left things late in the straightforward qualifying series, and now we must take the long and risky route, a route lined with tension, pressure, and that familiar emotional rollercoaster that always seems to accompany Nigeria’s football stories.
It still beats me hollow how Nigeria, one of Africa’s true football giants, failed to grab one of the nine direct tickets allocated to the continent for next year’s expanded World Cup. Instead, we now find ourselves in this remedial round, forced to fight through two grueling playoff phases to reclaim our place on the global stage for the first time since 2018.
Those at the football house must take the blame. The campaign was mismanaged from the start, from dithering over the choice of head coach to the chaotic rotation of three different managers during the qualifiers. Jose Peseiro, Finidi George, and now Eric Chelle, three coaches, three philosophies, and zero consistency. Add to that the latest embarrassment of a player revolt over unpaid bonuses, and you have a cocktail of confusion that perfectly sums up how not to run football.
While it is understandable for players to demand what is owed to them, the timing could not have been worse. This was not the moment to down tools. The playoffs represent a chance for redemption, not rebellion. The time that should have been spent recovering from travel fatigue and preparing mentally for battle was instead wasted in boardroom standoffs and press leaks.
Now the pressure has doubled. The players must deliver. They have boxed themselves into a corner where only qualification can justify their actions. Anything short of that will stain reputations and cast long shadows on careers. Win, and they will be forgiven. Fail, and they will be remembered as the generation that let Nigeria miss back to back World Cups.
A look at the squad in Rabat tells its own story. Only four players, William Troost Ekong, Wilfred Ndidi, Alex Iwobi, and Chidozie Awaziem, were part of the 2018 World Cup team in Russia. For most of the others, this is a make or break moment. They either rise to the occasion or fade into history without ever tasting the World Cup.
Now that the bonus row has reportedly been settled, we can only hope that the Vitamin M they fought for will truly fuel them to go for broke, starting with Gabon today, and hopefully carry that fight into Sunday’s final round.
Meanwhile, back home, the NPFL continues as scheduled. Enyimba FC will host Wikki Tourists at the Enyimba International Stadium, Aba. On paper, it looks like a routine victory for the People’s Elephant, but football, as we know, rarely follows the script.
If all goes well, we may have double reasons to celebrate by Sunday evening, a Super Eagles victory on the international stage and a resurgent Enyimba triumphing at home.
Soar Eagles.
Enyimba Enyi 💙
