Leon Balogun Reveals He Felt Heartbroken After Nigeria Failed to Qualify for the 2022 FIFA World Cup

• Leon Balogun says he cried on the pitch after Nigeria were knocked out of the 2022 FIFA World Cup tournament by arch-rivals Ghana
• The Super Eagles were eliminated on the away goals rule after they played a 1-1 draw against the Black Stars at the Moshood Abiola Stadium
• Both teams had played out a goalless draw in Kumasi days earlier with the Super Eagles needing an outright win to qualify for the World Cup

Leon Balogun is still to recover from the Super Eagles’ failure to qualify for the 2022 FIFA World Cup after they were eliminated in the final qualifying round by Ghana.

The 33-year-old defender was involved from start to finish as the Black Stars stunned Nigeria at the Moshood Abiola Stadium to earn a return to the biggest football competition after missing the 2018 edition in Russia.

According to a report via ACL Sports, Balogun has now revealed he burst into tears after the center referee blew the final whistle which confirmed Nigeria will not be in Qatar 2022.

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“I was heartbroken. I just laid there on the turf and cried my whole heart out. I could not stop; I did not want to stop.”

Leon Balogun who represented Nigeria at the 2018 World Cup in Russia revealed the Super Eagles had adequate preparations for the crucial World Cup qualifiers but couldn’t adjust to the in-game tactical changes by Ghana.

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Meanwhile, Leon Balogun has praised Giovanni van Bronckhorst for Rangers’ successes this season as the Scottish club pushes for the Europa League title.

According to MSN, the 33-year-old defender revealed the Dutch manager has a way of making his players trust his tactics and also in their footballing activities.

Rangers could still finish with a sensational double this season despite failing to defend their league title as they play the Europa League Final and Scottish Cup Final next week.

Leon Balogun speaks for the first time after Nigeria fail to qualify for World Cup

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Earlier, Sports Brief reported Leon Balogun has pleaded for the forgiveness of Nigerians after the Super Eagles failed in their attempt to qualify for the 2022 FIFA World Cup.

Nigeria got eliminated from the biggest football competition to be staged in Qatar after they were held to a 1-1 draw by Ghana at the Moshood Abiola Stadium.

Leon Balogun in a post on Instagram revealed that the failure to qualify for the World Cup was the darkest moment in his eight years of playing for the Super Eagles.