Seyi Olofinjana: Former Nigeria star offers tips for Nigeria to shine at 2026 World Cup

Former Nigeria midfielder, Seyi George Olofinjana says Nigeria should begin preparing for the next World Cup in 2026 earnestly.

And the former Wolverhampton Wanderers player admonished the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) to take some deliberate steps and plans to ensure that the Eagles soar at the next World Cup.

“What Grade A team are we playing this time next year? Those are the things that people talk about in Europe,” Olofinjana told Brila FM.

“We need to plan those things so that we will know that by November 30, 2023, we are playing Spain with preparation to it.”

Germany reached consecutive semi-finals in 2002, 2006, and2010 World Cups before winning the 2014 edition, defeating Argentina 1-0, underlining the deliberate plans by European teams in clinching the world title.

And the former Sports Director at Switzerland’s most successful club Grasshoppers added: “It took Germany ten years to plan toward winning the World Cup. I am not sure how many years it took France.

“Winning the World Cup is not a play-as-you-go thing. There needs to be a deliberate plan. We need to start preparing for the next tournament by inviting the best players including those that are not born in Nigeria to begin to play friendly games. The players should come here and be brought in to understand the struggle of the people.”

Nigeria has featured at six FIFA World Cups in 1994 (United States of America), 1998 (France), 2002 (South Korea / Japan), 2010 (South Africa), 2014 (Brazil), and 2018 (Russia).

The team has only missed two of the last eight FIFA World Cups in 2006 (Germany) and this year’s edition in Qatar.