The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has tendered unreserved apology for the failure of the Super Eagles to win the African ticket to the final Intercontinental Playoffs scheduled to hold March next year in Mexico.
Super Eagles lost out 3-4 in the shootouts with DR Congo after regulation and extra time deadlocked at 1-1 in the final match of the 2026 World Cup African Playoffs in Rabat, Morocco on Sunday night.
In a lengthy apology message addressed to President Bola Tinubu and passionate Nigerian football stakeholders, the NFF described the loss to DR Congo as a profound sadness to Nigerian football.
"Sunday's loss to DR Congo in the Africa Playoff Final in Rabat remains a moment of profound sadness for Nigerian football. For a nation where the Super Eagles serve as a symbol of unity, hope, and collective pride, missing out on the World Cup for a second consecutive time is a disappointment of great weight and emotional depth.
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"The NFF, the technical crew, and the players understand the gravity of this moment. We understand the expectations Nigerians rightly hold. We understand the passion and sacrifice of a country that has always stood firmly behind its team, through triumphs and trials. And we recognise that our collective effort did not deliver the outcome this nation deserved," stressed the message issued by the NFF's Director Communication, Dr Ademola Olajire.
The statement recalled the gloom that enveloped Super Eagles dressing room minutes after the final kick in the penalty shootouts.
"In the dressing room after the match, the pain among the players was palpable. Many struggled to speak."
NFF admitted that the financial support the federation received from the President Tinubu Administration remains enormous that should have been rewarded with the World Cup ticket by the Super Eagles.
"Throughout the long journey of this qualification campaign, we were privileged to receive enormous support from the Federal Government through the National Sports Commission, the National Assembly, key Ministries, Departments and Agencies, our diplomatic missions, the media, and, above all, the passionate fans whose devotion remains unmatched anywhere in the world.
"Football in Nigeria is more than a game. It is a national language. A bridge across cultures, a source of pride and emotional identity. A powerful symbol of unity that binds over 200 million people as one family. We owe it to this nation to honour that bond with sincerity, accountability, and action."
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The NFF therefore pledged to go to Morocco to win the AFCON 2025 starting next month in Rabat.
"As we look forward, our immediate attention turns to the Africa Cup of Nations Morocco 2025, which begins shortly. This tournament presents an opportunity for healing, for renewal, and for demonstrating the resilience that has always defined Nigerian football."
Against the backdrop of calls from a section of the stakeholders that the NFF board should resign from the position, the federation promised to review Nigeria's entire participation in the World Cup qualifiers for decisive steps to reposition the national teams for future success.
