Obafemi Martins: Super Eagles’ Poland Draw Makes 2026 FIFA World Cup Absence ‘So Painful’

Obafemi Martins, one of Nigeria’s most celebrated strikers, has voiced his frustration at the Super Eagles’ failure to qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, stating that the national team’s current impressive displays only deepen the hurt of their absence from football’s biggest stage.

Speaking to the New Telegraph, the 41-year-old, who earned 42 caps and scored 18 goals for Nigeria — including featuring at the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa — was unequivocal about his disappointment. “That Nigeria is not going to the World Cup, I’m not happy about that. I’m a fan even though I used to play for the Super Eagles, I’m a fan, and I think they should gather themselves together and try to play as a team and prepare for the World Cup (2030),” Martins declared.

The former striker also pointed to the current squad’s quality as a source of both pride and frustration. “We have to work and see how it goes at the end… The current form of our players all round is very impressive, and this makes the World Cup absence so painful,” he added.

Nigeria’s qualification campaign ended in failure despite a series of extraordinary circumstances that appeared to work in the Super Eagles’ favour. The team received a three-point deduction handed to group rivals South Africa, benefited from a CAF ruling that removed points earned against bottom-placed sides, and were still afforded a final playoff opportunity — all of which ultimately proved insufficient to secure a berth at the tournament hosted across North America.

The consequences of that failure are significant. Nigeria has now missed consecutive FIFA World Cups, having also been absent from the 2022 edition held in Qatar. It marks one of the most difficult periods in the Super Eagles’ modern qualification history, a record that stands in sharp contrast to the nation’s earlier appearances in 1994, 1998, 2002, 2010, and 2014.

Under head coach Eric Chelle, however, the team has shown signs of a meaningful resurgence. That rebuild was on display on Wednesday, June 3, when Nigeria held Poland to a 2-2 draw in an international friendly — a result that drew widespread attention given the quality of the performance.

Martins acknowledged that bright spot, offering praise for the players who have stepped into the national team setup. “I’m so happy for the new invitees because they all gave a good account of themselves and I think they played quite well and I’m proud of that,” he said.

With qualification for the 2026 FIFA World Cup now closed, the Super Eagles’ next major objective is the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations, where Chelle will look to channel the momentum from recent performances into silverware. The 2030 FIFA World Cup qualification campaign will also come into focus, with Martins himself urging the squad to begin preparing for that cycle.

For now, the squad’s promising form under Chelle provides a degree of optimism, but for figures like Martins — and millions of Nigerian football supporters — the pain of a second consecutive World Cup absence remains raw.