Former Super Eagles man, Victor Ikpeba, has shared his opinion on why DR Congo defeated Nigeria in the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifying playoff final on Sunday.
Nigeria managed to drag the game into extra-time and it ended in a penalty shootout after both sides failed to score in the 30 minutes extra time.
Ikpeba said that the Super Eagles only turned up in the first half but did not show up in the second half with Congo taking charge of the game.
He said that this could be as a result of fatigue following their 120 minutes of play against Gabon three days ago.
After the 120 minutes the boys played two days ago, they knew that they would be in the game if they didn’t concede much in the first forty-five minutes. I think physically, we didn’t turn up.
“I think we turned up for the first 45 minutes. They were physically much better than our boys. And I did have my reservation about our boys. Are they ready to come into the party in this game against the Congolese after giving a lot against Gabon?
“We shouldn’t forget they gave a lot against Gabon. It is what it is, and I think it’s a setback for this generation of players. So much was expected of these boys, especially looking at the talent of these boys we had.
“They showed a lot of passion and determination in the last Nations Cup.
“We shouldn’t take it away from them. And it was a difficult side to beat.
“And what can we say? It is to go back and prepare for the Nations Cup. I hope they can put smiles on Nigerians and win the nation’s cup. But when you look globally, how we started and how we got to this place, we just felt that we lack certain things in this team.
“It just shows again, most of all the difficulty in competing in African football. You know that names don’t win football every time.”
