‘We couldn’t do the job’ - Super Eagles legend blames Nigeria’s ‘slow start’ for losing automatic World Cup ticket

Nigeria's campaign in Group C began poorly, with the team collecting just three points from their initial four games. 

A string of three consecutive draws was followed by a damaging away loss to Benin, leaving the Super Eagles with a significant deficit to overcome.

Despite a remarkable turnaround in the latter half of the qualifiers, the Super Eagles' strong finish did, however, earn them a place in the playoffs as one of the best-ranked runners-up.

Looking back at the journey, Ikpeba pinpointed the team's initial poor results and coaching instability as critical failures.

"Our slow start was our greatest undoing. We couldn’t do the job against Lesotho at home, drew away to Zimbabwe, and lost to the Republic of Benin. Our form during that period was terrible,” Ikpeba stated during a SuperSport broadcast.

"We had a manager who left, and Finidi came in. There was a little bit of chaos everywhere, and that’s where we didn’t get it right,” he added.

Nigeria’s 4-0 win against Benin Republic in their final qualifying game earned a spot in the playoffs and a chance to qualify for the World Cup.

The Super Eagles are anticipated to face Gabon in a World Cup playoff semifinal this November, with a potential spot in the intercontinental playoffs on the line.