…For The 2026 FIFA World Cup
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Sports Analyst, CHISOM MBONU-EZEOKE
Veteran sports analyst Chisom Mbonu-Ezeoke has once again stepped forward with a detailed, uncompromising breakdown of what Nigeria’s Super Eagles must do to qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. In a football era where sentiment and hype often overshadow analysis, Mbonu-Ezeoke remains one of the few voices who combine experience, clarity and candour.
A trailblazer in Nigerian sports broadcasting, she became the first female football analyst on SuperSport, earned a FIFA football agent licence, and has covered African football for more than two decades. Her reputation for sharp, fearless analysis makes her guidance crucial at a time when Nigerian football stands at a critical junction.
Speaking passionately about the World Cup qualifiers, Mbonu-Ezeoke said Nigeria’s success will depend on attitude more than anything. For her, the road to the World Cup begins with discipline long before the players step onto the pitch. She stressed that the players must report to camp early and eliminate distractions. “When you are called up to fight for your nation, you do not appear casually. You come early, settle early and prepare your mind,” she stated. “If you are in the national team and your head is still on social media likes, designer outfits and who noticed your arrival at the airport, then you are not ready. The Super Eagles camp is not a fashion show, it is a battlefield.”
She criticised the habit of some players arriving late or strolling into camp without urgency. She argued that early arrival affects team chemistry, tactical understanding and conditioning. “A qualification campaign can collapse because two or three key players arrive late and the entire preparation is disrupted. These things matter. In football, small details create big results.”
The selection of players also dominated her comments. Mbonu-Ezeoke insisted that the technical crew must choose players whose hearts are in the team. According to her, the Super Eagles have suffered in past years because selections were sometimes based on reputation instead of commitment. “If your heart is elsewhere, stay home,” she said. “This team is not a rehabilitation centre. We need players who bleed green and breathe football. You cannot come here with a divided mind, half on endorsements and half on partying. That is how matches slip away.”
She added that the team must fight as one, highlighting their unity in the memorable match against Benin. She praised their hunger, structure and energy in that performance and encouraged the players to claw the internet and rewatch the game. “Look at yourselves in that match. See how you moved like a single unit. That is the identity you must carry forward,” she said. “The Benin game showed me that when the Eagles are focused, hungry and organised, they are dangerous. We saw a team that wanted to win. That attitude must follow them into every match.”
Several analysts have said similar things recently, echoing the call for discipline and unity. One Lagos-based football pundit was quoted saying, “This current squad has the talent to qualify, but talent without discipline is chaos. The boys must shut out distractions and remember what they are playing for.” Another analyst based in Abuja added in a television interview last week, “If Nigeria fails to qualify, it will not be because of the opponents. It will be because we beat ourselves with complacency. The team must play with a soldier’s mentality, no jokes, no ego, just work.” Their comments align closely with Mbonu-Ezeoke’s warning that focus, not fame, will determine Nigeria’s fate.
She strongly cautioned the players to concentrate on the game and resist the growing culture of flaunting luxury and social popularity during national duty. “This generation must understand that football is not Instagram,” she said. “You can post after the match, not before. The moment you start thinking of cameras more than the ball, you have already lost something inside. There is time for media, but that time is not during camp.”
She laid out practical steps Nigeria must take. They must beat Gabon, reach the qualification finals and then finish the job against any opponent waiting there. “Beat Gabon. That match is non-negotiable,” she said firmly. “Qualifying is a chain. If you break one link, the chain falls apart. Win the Gabon game, then carry that momentum into the final stage. Every match must feel like a final. You play like your life depends on it.”
She described the Gabon fixture as a psychological test. “Gabon will not lie down. They will come with everything. But the Eagles have beaten tougher sides. What they need is to avoid panic, stick to their structure and kill the game early.”
Victor Osimhen’s fitness, she said, is a major advantage Nigeria must exploit. She called him a rare weapon in modern African football. According to her, when Osimhen is fit, opponents fear Nigeria before the match even starts. “A fit Osimhen is worth more than statistics. He changes the tempo, he forces defenders back, he brings belief. But the team must support him properly. Do not isolate him. Feed him. Press with him. Run with him. He is not a magician, he is part of a system.”
In addition to Osimhen, one analyst from Port Harcourt recently said on radio, “If Osimhen is fit and the midfield wakes up, the Eagles are unstoppable. But the midfield must serve him with intelligence, not confusion.” Another commentator from Enugu added, “We have a Ferrari upfront. We just need the right mechanics around him to make it fly.”
The goalkeeper position, Mbonu-Ezeoke noted, is another decisive factor in qualification. She stressed that the goalkeeper must remain calm at all times. “A keeper who loses his head can destroy ninety minutes of hard work. One bad decision, one moment of confusion, and everything collapses. The goalkeeper must be the calmest man on the pitch. He must command the defence, communicate clearly and avoid unnecessary risks.” She urged the coaching crew to invest heavily in mental conditioning for the keeper, noting that World Cup qualifiers often come down to split-second choices.
Above everything, she repeated the importance of unity and discipline. “The World Cup is for teams, not individuals,” she said. “You saw what unity did in the Benin game. You saw what discipline did. If they carry that spirit, that hunger, that family bond, Nigeria will qualify.”
She insisted that the Super Eagles must treat every match as a mission, not a show. “The badge on your chest is bigger than the name on your back. When you wear Nigeria’s colours, you represent over 200 million people. This is not the time for ego, not the time for excuses. This is the time for sacrifice.”
Her closing remark carried the weight of a stern but hopeful patriot. “This is a golden chance for the Super Eagles. They have the talent, they have the tools. What they need now is the mentality. If they report early, stay focused, fight with heart, avoid distractions and play united, I believe they will qualify for the 2026 World Cup with pride. Anything less, and they leave their fate to luck, and luck does not reward unprepared teams.”
For Nigeria, the path is clear, the stakes are high and the clock is ticking. Whether the Super Eagles rise to meet the moment remains the story the entire nation watches with hope.
By Benprince Ezeh
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