The head coach of the senior national team of Benin Republic Gernot Rohr says the Super Eagles are still the favourite to be at the 2026 world cup despite a poor start to the qualifiers, OwnGoalNigeria.com reports.

Nigeria have three points from a possible nine with three consecutive draws in their first three games of the qualifiers, a run that has seen them drop to 5th in the 6 team group. Two points behind the group leaders Lesotho.

They will be looking for their first win today when they take on Benin Republic, who are led by their former coach Gernot Rohr and despite their win over former group leaders Rwanda over the weekend, the coach still says the Super Eagles won’t be an easy team to beat.

” When you look at the group the gap isn’t much so Super Eagles still remains my favourite to qualify for the world cup from our group. They need a win to go close to the top because they are still undefeated”, the coach said at the press conference ahead of today’s game.

He said his team will hope to make the best of the game as they are the underdogs going into today’s game in Cote d’Ivoire, their adopted home ground.

“Nigeria are a great team. We are outsiders, but we will play to win. This match is an opportunity to meet with players and other staff of the team after a long time, it is always good thing. There are no regrets.”

Mohammed Mowiz Suleiman

Zamalek forward Samson Olanrewaju Akinyoola has accused the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) as the reason behind the decision of the coach of the Benin Republic Gernot Rohr to leave him out of his squad for the world cup qualifiers, OwnGoalNigeria.com reports.

Akinyoola introduced himself to international football by playing for the U20 of Benin Republic in 2019 and was prime for his debut for the senior team in the world cup qualifiers, which they started with a win over Rwanda and will play Nigeria later today.

However he wasn’t picked in the squad for both games with questions over his eligibility to play for the West African country as he is born to Nigerian parents and holds a Nigerian passport. There is still some whispers that he doesn’t qualify for Benin Republic as he is a Nigerian who only migrated few years ago.

” Somebody in the NFF is behind this and it is not fair. Samson told me about it and that person is doing it for selfish reasons. Samson represented Benin Republic in 2019 at U20 level without any issues, so why can’t he play now at senior level”, a source close to the player queried.

” Samson is very angry and feels he has been robbed off the chance to help his team in their dream of making it to the world cup, but it hasn’t ended as he will do everything in his powers to prove that he is eligible to play for Benin Republic”.

Mohammed Mowiz Suleiman

The real reason behind the decision by head coach of the senior national team of Nigeria Finidi George to pick Paul Onuachu ahead of Bayer Leverkusen forward Victor Boniface has been made known to OwnGoalNigeria.com.

Onuachu was picked to start in the 1-1 draw against South Africa ahead of Boniface, who was an unused substitute in the game which had now left the Super Eagles in a position where they can’t make errors in the race to be at the 2026 world cup.

Finidi’s decision led to a lot of outcry and questions after the game , but the coach who revealed that the injury to Semi Ajayi forced him into not introducing Boniface as a substitute didn’t reveal the true reason why the 23 year old wasn’t in the starting lineup.

” He (Boniface) came to the camp looking really far and unfit. All the drills he came last and remember we have a new fitness trainer. It was on his advice that Boniface was left out of the starting lineup, although he was fit enough for the final 15 minutes before Ajayi got injured”, a backroom staff told OwnGoalNigeria.com.

Ahead of today’s game against Benin Republic, he said it is very likely that he will play some part but refused to be drawn on if he will start the game ahead of Onuachu or Terem Moffi who was also introduced in the last game.

” I don’t know and only the coach can decide that. But his fitness is a lot better than it was few days ago. Also it depends on how the technical crew plan to approach today’s game”.

Mohammed Mowiz Suleiman

The head coach of the senior national team of Nigeria Finidi George has made some shocking decisions in the starting lineup for today’s 2026 world cup qualifiers game against South Africa in Uyo, OwnGoalNigeria.com can exclusively reveal.

Finidi took a very bold decision in switching to a more attacking formation playing 4-3-3 with stand in captain Wilfred Ndidi initially picked to play in center back alongside Semi Ajayi now back in the midfield.

Benjamin Tanimu of Tanzanian side Ihefu FC comes in the starting lineup with Frank Onyeka dropping out of the team after failing a late fitness test per what we exclusively gathered.

Stanley Nwabali keeps his spot in goal with Bright Osayi-Samuel and Calvin Bassey operating as right and left full back respectively. The deployment of Ndidi to centre back means a first start for Hatayaspor midfielder Fisayo Dele-Bashiru.

He will play in midfield just behind Alex Iwobi. The team’s attack will be anchored by the trio of Ademola Lookman, Paul Onuachu and Kelechi Iheanacho.

Onuachu was picked to start ahead of Victor Boniface as the arrow head of the attack of the team, with Iheanacho playing from the right and Lookman from the left side of attack.

Starting XI:

Stanley Nwabali
Bright Osayi-Samuel
Semi Ajayi
Wilfred Ndidi
Calvin Bassey
Fisayo Dele-Bashiru
Alex Iwobi
Benjamin Tanimu
Ademola Lookman
Paul Onuachu
Kelechi Iheanacho

The head coach of the senior national team of Nigeria Finidi George has made some shocking decisions in the starting lineup for today’s 2026 world cup qualifiers game against South Africa in Uyo, OwnGoalNigeria.com can exclusively reveal.

Finidi took a very bold decision in switching to a more attacking formation playing 4-3-3 with stand in captain Wilfred Ndidi picked to play in center back alongside Semi Ajayi.

Stanley Nwabali keeps his spot in goal with Bright Osayi-Samuel and Calvin Bassey operating as right and left full back respectively. The deployment of Ndidi to centre back means a first start for Hatayaspor midfielder Fisayo Dele-Bashiru.

He will play in midfield with the duo of Frank Onyeka and Alex Iwobi. The team’s attack will be anchored by the trio of Ademola Lookman, Paul Onuachu and Kelechi Iheanacho.

Onuachu was picked to start ahead of Victor Boniface as the arrow head of the attack of the team, with Iheanacho playing from the right and Lookman from the left side of attack.

Starting XI:

Stanley Nwabali
Bright Osayi-Samuel
Semi Ajayi
Wilfred Ndidi
Calvin Bassey
Fisayo Dele-Bashiru
Alex Iwobi
Frank Onyeka
Ademola Lookman
Paul Onuachu
Kelechi Iheanacho

Leicester City forward Kelechi Iheanacho says the preparation of the senior national team of Nigeria for their world cup qualifiers games against South Africa and Benin Republic has been affected by the late arrival of key players of the team, OwnGoalNigeria.com reports.

Iheanacho who is a one of the senior players of the team was among the first to hit the camp of the team in Uyo ahead of the first of their two games in the series, which is Friday’s game against South Africa.

He said preparation for the game has been hampered by the late arrival of key players like Ademola Lookman, Alex Iwobi, Calvin Bassey, Semi Ajayi and a host of others due to varying reasons. Part of which is the industrial action by organized labour in Nigeria which grounded both domestic and international flights.

” Some of the big session that we needed we couldn’t because we are not complete. It affects the training a little bit but we got almost everybody today and we did a big session which is very important”, he told TVC

” Hopefully everyone will be around tomorrow for us to get the full length of the pitch and training that we need. Overall, we’ve been working very hard and training for a few days now so I think the coaches are doing a great job, we are really fit and ready to go”, he stated.

Mohammed Mowiz Suleiman

Feelers from the camp of the Super Eagles ahead of the world cup qualifiers games against South Africa and Benin Republic has it that Daniel Amokachi has quit his role as assistant coach of the team, OwnGoalNigeria.com can exclusively reveal.

Amokachi was appointed as one of the assistants of Finidi George, who got the nod to replace Portuguese coach Jose Peseiro as the substantive coach of the team with a mandate to ensure that he keeps the team in the race for the 2026 world cup.

While the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) picked Amokachi as the first assistant of the coach , Finidi prefers Benjamin James the coach he picked by himself as his first assistant relegating Amokachi to the role of second assistant.

That confusion made “The Bull” like Amokachi was called during his playing days to quit the position, hence shunning the chance to be a part of the team’s camp ahead of their upcoming games in the world cup 2026 qualifiers.

Discussions are ongoing with the NFF and some officials of the ministry for sports for Amokachi to reconsider his decision, but he is adamant that he deserves better treatment hence won’t settle for less under his former teammate as head coach.

Mohammed Mowiz Suleiman

The camp of the senior national team of Nigeria isn’t having the best of preparation going into the 2026 world cup qualifiers games against South Africa and Benin Republic, OwnGoalNigeria.com reports.

Coaches of the team led by Finidi George have been grappling with the issue of players pulling out of the squad as well as the late arrival of key players. The team have only had one full training session in the build up to the first of their two games in the series.

Ahead of Friday’s game against South Africa, the team suffered a minor setback when AC Milan winger Samuel Chukwueze picked up a knock in training. It made him to sit out the remainder of the session for medical attention.

Chukwueze who missed the final one month of the season for AC Milan due to injury is now a huge doubt for Friday game, although a source in the team said it’s not seen as something really serious.

Ade Emmanuel

The camp of the senior national team of Nigeria has been badly hit by what a member of the NFF tagged as act of indiscipline ahead of their crucial 2026 world cup qualifiers games against South Africa and Benin Republic respectively.

Nigeria will resume the series with a game against South Africa on Friday , but they have not had the best of build up leading to the game with key players only certain of having only two sessions before the game.

Majority of the invited players only took part in full training yesterday, as a matter of fact the duo of Alex Iwobi and Ademola Lookman only arrived the camp of the team on Wednesday, while that of Lookman can be traced to his involvement in a league game on Sunday and the subsequent NUC/TUC strike in Nigeria, Iwobi has been on holiday for three weeks since the conclusion of the English Premier League.

” Did you see Bruno Fernandez play for Portugal last night and even Ruben Diaz? A little over two weeks ago they were actively involved in the English FA Cup final. Back here we have players who have been on holiday for three weeks just turning up. That is indiscipline and we won’t shy away from telling them”, a board member of the NFF told OwnGoalNigeria.com.

” Only Lookman has a valid excuse. The rest of them who arrived late knew what they did. It is up to Finidi to stamp his authority in the team wisely because a team with players who behave this way won’t make much progress”, he concluded.

Mohammed Mowiz Suleiman