Following their poor performances in the first two games of the 2026 World Cup qualifiers against Lesotho and Zimbabwe, Super Eagles assistant captain Moses Simon has apologized to fans.
Nantes star, Moses Simon, who was part of the team has appealed for calm
“Not the result we wanted, but we will surely bounce back,” Simon noted.
“Big apologies to our fans, you deserve better than the performance against Lesotho and Zimbabwe.
“We have overcome so many challenges in the past. And now is the time to reflect and come back stronger.”
The national senior team commenced their 2026 World Cup qualifying campaign with two games against Lesotho and Zimbabwe.
In their first encounter, the Super Eagles clashed with the Crocodiles of Lesotho on Thursday, November 16 at the Godswill Akpabio Stadium. The Nigerian side with massive home support were favourites to win the tie comparing both teams’ quality and thoroughbred.
Nonetheless in that game, Nigeria were the dominant side creating a lot of chances. But, the Super Eagles settled for a 1-1 draw against the Southern Africans.
The second game was not as good as the first. Despite playing on neutral ground on Sunday, November 19 at the Huye Stadium, in Rwanda, the Jose Peseiro-led team failed to prove their quality, as Zimbabwe withstood them on all fronts and created a lot of goal-scoring chances.
Ultimately, the Zimbabweans had the day with a goal in the first half off a free kick. However, the Nigerians were finally able to secure one point out of Rwanda, thanks to Kelechi Iheanacho’s goal in the second half.
The two points guaranteed the Super Eagles two points from a possible six in their first two games of the 2026 World Cup qualifiers. They are third in Group C of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
With resultant outcry, especially in Nigeria, because football-loving fans believed that the team has the ability to do more, some have called for the sack of Jose Peseiro from the Super Eagles job.
The Nigerian team has been at six FIFA World Cup campaigns, namely; USA 1994, France 1998, Korea/Japan 2002, South Africa 2010, Brazil 2014 and Russia 2018.
The next set of World Cup qualifiers is in 2024, and fans anticipate that the Super Eagles will be in the best form by then.
Meanwhile, Super Eagles first-choice goalkeeper, Francis Uzoho, has been receiving threats and heavy criticism following Nigeria’s Super Eagles 1-1 stalemates against Lesotho and Zimbabwe in the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers.
Amidst heavy criticism, the Omonia Nicosia goalkeeper has deactivated his social media platform X account and is reportedly contemplating taking a break from the Super Eagles.
This consideration is said to be influenced by the desire to follow in the footsteps of goalkeeper Maduka Okoye, who took a break from international duties due to online abuse and threats to his life and family.
With too many errors, Nigerian football fans have expressed their disappointment over Uzoho’s goalkeeping style, conspicuously conceding a 40-yard free-kick by Walter Musona in the draw against Zimbabwe on November 19, 2023
The strained relationship between Uzoho and fans has been on the rise since his error in the ill-fated 2022 World Cup playoff loss against Ghana, where he spilled a shot by Thomas Partey.
Subsequent mistakes in international friendly games, including the AFCON 2023 matches against Saudi Arabia and Mozambique, have fueled calls for his replacement as the Super Eagles’ first-choice goalkeeper, a call that head coach Jose Peseiro has resisted.
Uzoho, who made his Super Eagles debut in October 2017, was a favorite in Peseiro’s plans to guard the goal at the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations in Ivory Coast. If the Omonia Nicosia goalkeeper proceeds with the purported international break, the Super Eagles will need to explore other goalkeeper options.
Possibilities include Udinese goalkeeper Maduka Okoye, Israel-based Adebayo Adeleye, home-based goalkeeper Ojo Olorunleke, as well as Noah Atubolu, Jonathan Rasheed, and youngster Arthur Okoronkwo.
