The Super Eagles may be running out of road in their 2026 FIFA World Cup quest, and former Nigeria international, Ifeanyi Udeze, believes the struggles are rooted in costly mistakes made at the very beginning of the qualifiers.

Nigeria’s campaign has been far from smooth. With only six points collected from their opening six games, the road to North America already looks daunting. A narrow 1-0 win over Rwanda rekindled faint hopes, but the recent 1-1 draw against South Africa in Bloemfontein left fans frustrated. Captain William Troost-Ekong’s unfortunate own goal put the team under pressure before Calvin Bassey’s equalizer salvaged a point.

Speaking to Spprtsblog247.com, Udeze — a former West Bromwich Albion defender — stressed that everyone must share responsibility, from the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) down to the players.

> “This was a mistake we made from day one, the beginning of the World Cup qualifiers. We took things for granted and now see where it has landed us,” Udeze said.

“It’s not over until it’s over, but we are now doing late arithmetic, trying to add one plus one to see if qualification is still possible. It’s crazy, but we cannot give up. We fight to the end.”

With the clock ticking, the Eagles must soar higher than ever — or risk watching another World Cup from home.