Eniola Aluko, a former England international, has insisted that Nigeria’s failure to qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup was not primarily due to the Super Eagles’ strike.
Recall that two days prior to their pivotal African playoff semifinal matchup with Gabon, the national team made the decision to go on strike in order to compel the Nigerian Football Federation, or NFF, to pay their fair share.
Nevertheless, the team put an end to the argument and defeated Gabon in extra time. However, in the African playoff final, they lost to the Democratic Republic of the Congo in a devastating penalty shootout.
Aluko said that Nigerian players won’t be at the World Cup because they didn’t perform well against the Leopards.
“We lost to the Democratic Republic of the Congo, so we will not be attending the FIFA World Cup. Aluko stated on ThePlayzone podcast, “They weren’t good enough on the day.”
“I agree we should have won, but going on strike is not the reason we lost the game,” said Aluko, a former Chelsea football player.
However, I believe the time was off. I concur that they are not giving their full attention to what needs to be done if they consent to do that.
My goal is to make it impossible for any player to do that, and I mean the Federation and management when I say that.
It’s a simple task. Simply pay employees on schedule so they won’t have an excuse if they lose.
While her brother, Sone Aluko, played for the Super Eagles, Eniola, who was born in Lagos, represented England in international football and earned over 100 caps.
About The Author
