Former Super Eagles goalkeeper, Daniel Akpeyi, has expressed his disappointment over the team’s current state and their 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifying campaign. Akpeyi slammed the team for lacking a proper unit, unlike South Africa, who have made visible progress under their coach, Hugo Broos.

“The standing in the World Cup qualifiers group is a clear reflection that South African football is higher,” Akpeyi said. “You can have big players, but coming up with a team is something that many fail to do.” Akpeyi attributed South Africa’s success to their team effort, saying, “We [Nigeria] could be like Bafana Bafana if we have players who play for the country and not for themselves.”

Akpeyi believes that Nigeria deserves to be in a better position in the qualifiers, but lacks fundamentals such as cohesion and identity. “I strongly believe that we [Nigeria] deserve to be in first position,” he said. “Right now, we lack so many fundamentals that South Africa has. That also includes cohesion and identity.”

With Rwanda and Benin still within touching distance, Nigeria must now deliver consistent performances in the remaining fixtures to stand any chance of reaching the 2026 World Cup. Akpeyi’s comments have added to the scrutiny surrounding head coach Eric Chelle, who is under pressure to guide the team to the World Cup.