Dutch coach Simon Kalika has expressed disappointment over Nigeria’s failure to qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, saying the tournament will suffer without the Super Eagles. Kalika said the absence of the Super Eagles from football’s biggest stage would be a major loss, especially given the quality of players in the current squad. The 2026 World cup, to be jointly hosted by the United States, Mexico and Canada, will take place without one of Africa’s most recognisable football nations for the second consecutive edition. Calvin Bassey, Alex Iwobi and Wilfred Ndidi also stood out at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco. Apart from Iwobi and Ndidi, several of these players are yet to feature at a World Cup and have now missed two consecutive editions with Nigeria’s failure to qualify.