Nigeria could have reached World Cup semis – John Noble

By Olu Dare

Nigeria goalkeeper John Noble believes Nigeria would have reached the semis of the tournament.

The Enyimba captain was part of the Super Eagles squad that crashed out in the Round of 16 of the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations held in Cameroon.

He was part of the team that bowed to Ghana in the play-off round of the Qatar 2022 qualifiers. Notwithstanding, he clamed his side would have reached at least the last four in the Middle East country.

“If the Super Eagles had the opportunity to play at the World Cup this year it would have been a different thing altogether,” Noble told the media.

“The players were ready and wanted to give their best, especially those who have never been to the World Cup.

“If Nigeria had qualified it would have been a different story because I believe in the spirit in the camp and I believe Nigeria would have gotten to the semi-final.”

Ghana who beat Nigeria to the World Cup ticket failed to get past the group stage after losing the opener 3-2 against Portugal, they then recovered to beat South Korea 3-2 but suffered a 2-0 defeat against Uruguay to exit the stage.

Senegal and Morocco made it to the knockout stages, with the Lions of Teranga losing 3-0 to England in the Round of 16. Meanwhile, the Atlas Lions reached the semis where they lost 2-0 against France and fell 2-1 to Croatia in the third-place playoff fixture.

The Super Eagles under Portuguese manager Jose Peseiro will wait until March 20 to resume their hunt for the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations ticket against Guinea-Bissau at Abuja National Stadium.