Former Super Eagles captain, Austin ‘Jay-Jay’ Okocha has expressed strong belief that the team can still turn things around and beat South Africa to the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifying campaign.
Nigeria currently sit fourth in Group C with seven points after six matches, while South Africa’s Bafana Bafana lead the table with 13 points.
The group dynamics are tight, with Rwanda trailing closely in second place with eight points.
Despite the current standings, Okocha remains optimistic about Nigeria’s chances of qualification.
Speaking to iDiski Times, the 1994 Africa Cup of Nations winner emphasized that the Super Eagles must treat every remaining game as a must-win if they hope to book a ticket to the next World Cup.
“If we want to give ourselves any chance of qualifying, we have to be thinking of winning all our remaining matches,” Okocha said. “Of course Bafana Bafana are top in the group, it will be a difficult game to play but of course we still believe that we can go there and win.”
He added: “If we want to qualify, those are the games that we need to win. I believe that we can win there, but it’s definitely not going to be easy.”
The Super Eagles are set to resume their qualification journey in September.
They will face Rwanda at home on September 1, followed by a crucial away clash against South Africa a week later.
Under new head coach Eric Chelle, Nigeria began their second qualification phase with a 2-0 win over Rwanda in Kigali.
However, their momentum was halted after a disappointing 1-1 draw at home against Zimbabwe, further complicating their qualification hopes.
With four games left, Nigeria need a perfect run to revive their chances and avoid missing a second consecutive World Cup appearance.
