As the Super Eagles face growing uncertainty in their 2026 World Cup qualifying campaign following a costly 1-1 draw at home to Zimbabwe their current position echoes past collapses by teams that started strong but failed to reach the World Cup. History proves that a good start doesn’t guarantee qualification. Here are five notable teams that blew their chances after promising beginnings:
Côte d’Ivoire – 1994: Reigning African champions and group leaders, the Ivorians beat Nigeria 2-1 at home and narrowly defeated Algeria. But a 4-1 thrashing by Nigeria in Lagos wrecked their chances. Nigeria qualified on goal difference after a 1-1 draw with Algeria.
Guinea – 1998: Guinea topped their group after early wins over Kenya and Burkina Faso. But defeats to Nigeria and Kenya saw them fall behind. Nigeria secured the top spot with 13 points to Guinea’s 12.
Liberia – 2002: Led by George Weah, Liberia looked set for a historic qualification. But late losses to Nigeria and Ghana derailed their dream. Nigeria beat Ghana on the final day to clinch the ticket.
Tunisia – 2010: Tunisia were favourites to qualify but a final-day loss to Mozambique, combined with Nigeria’s win over Kenya, handed the Super Eagles the World Cup spot by a single point.
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France – 1994: France only needed one point from their final two home games. But shock losses to Israel (3-2) and Bulgaria (2-1), both involving late goals, led to one of the most dramatic failures in European qualifying history.
Editorial
These stories are more than cautionary tales they are reminders that World Cup qualification is not about reputation or early form. It’s about consistency, mentality, and finishing strong.
For Nigeria, the path ahead is tight. With South Africa ahead and tough fixtures looming, the Super Eagles must learn from these historical collapses. Côte d’Ivoire, Tunisia, Guinea each had the tools but lost grip when it mattered most.
But there’s also hope. In some of these very stories Tunisia in 2010, Liberia in 2002 Nigeria were the ones who staged the comeback, who capitalised on others’ slip ups. That shows it can be done.
So long as the points are still there to fight for, Nigeria must believe, but they must also act. Every fixture now is a final, every dropped point a potential obituary. And if they want to avoid joining the list above, they must find their rhythm fast.
Did You Know?
- Nigeria qualified for their first FIFA World Cup in 1994, eliminating Côte d’Ivoire on goal difference.
- George Weah is the only African to win the Ballon d’Or and nearly led Liberia to their first World Cup in 2002.
- Tunisia’s loss to Mozambique in 2009 was their first competitive defeat to the southern African nation.
- France’s 1994 failure led to the rise of Zinedine Zidane and a team rebuild that won the 1998 World Cup.
- Nigeria has qualified for six of the last seven FIFA World Cups, missing only in 2006.
