National Teams
2026 World Cup Qualifiers: Waidi Akanni furious with leakage in Super Eagles defense
By Saheed Afolabi
Former Nigerian international Waidi Akanni has expressed concern over the lack of discipline in the national team’s defense following their 2-1 loss to Benin on Monday.
The Super Eagles conceded two goals within ten minutes, squandering an early lead against the Squirrels and Akanni feels that while the lineup against Benin was an improvement over the one against South Africa, the players failed to capitalize on their early advantage.
He emphasized that the team should have maintained pressure on the Benin defense and avoided conceding the two quick goals that shifted the momentum in favor of the Beninois.
“The starting line-up against Benin was better than the one against South Africa. It’s just unfortunate that after scoring the first goal, the team failed to pile more pressure on the Benin defense,” Akanni told Afrosport.
“Conceding two goals in the space of 10 minutes is something that should have been avoided by the players.”
The Super Eagles’ chances of qualifying for the World Cup are now in jeopardy, with the team needing to win their remaining matches to keep their hopes alive.
