By: Monsurah Olatunji
Former international Godwin Okpara has expressed optimism about the quality of players in the Super Eagles squad ahead of their 2026 World Cup qualification campaign.
Despite a challenging start to the qualifiers that has left the team in fifth place in a group of six, the former Super Eagles defender remains confident that Nigeria can secure a spot in the next World Cup.
With only three points from four matches—three draws and a defeat to Benin Republic—Okpara believes that qualifying is still achievable, as the Super Eagles are just four points behind Group C leaders Rwanda.
Okpara, who earned 29 caps for Nigeria during his playing days, emphasized that Nigeria has the superior talent to overcome the competition.
“One on One, Nigeria has better players than the teams in our World Cup group,” Okpara said in an interview with Brila FM.
“I’m confident we will qualify for the tournament next year.”
Samuel Ahmadu is a distinguished multimedia journalist and women's football expert with over 15 years of experience in the industry. He began his career at Goal.com in February 2014, where he served as an African women's football correspondent for nearly eight years. During his tenure at Goal.com, Samuel covered major events such as three Women's Africa Cup of Nations (2016, 2018, 2022) and the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup in Canada plus 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia. His work at Goal.com earned him widespread acclaim, particularly for his in-depth profiles of African football stars, notably Asisat Oshoala, whose rise he documented from her early years to her breakthrough at the FIFA U20 Women's World Cup in 2014. Prior to his role at Goal.com, Samuel freelanced for various print and broadcast media outlets in Nigeria, including Graphics Newspaper, Radio Nigeria, Grace FM, and Savid Newspaper. His extensive experience and expertise led to his appointment to the Nigeria Football Federation's Standing Committee on Women's Football Development from 2016 to 2018. Since February 2018, Samuel has been the Social Media Manager for Nigeria's women's national teams.In 2019, Samuel joined the Confederation of African Football (CAF) as a women's football content contributor and was promoted to Women's Football Editor in 2021. His contributions to women's football continued as he worked as a Media Consultant for Content Creation and Editorials at the 2022 CAF Women's Champions League. Currently, Samuel also serves as the spokesman for the Nigeria Women Football League, further solidifying his influence and dedication to the growth of women's football in Africa.
