Former Minister of Youth and Sports Development, Solomon Dalung, has expressed concerns over Nigeria’s struggles in the ongoing FIFA World Cup qualifiers, attributing the Super Eagles’ poor performance to weak leadership and administrative inefficiencies in sports management.
Dalung made these remarks during a visit to the Emir of Ilorin’s palace in Kwara State, where he highlighted the decline of Nigerian football since his tenure ended
According to Dalung, Nigeria’s last successful World Cup qualification was in 2018, when the Super Eagles secured a spot with a game to spare.
However, he lamented that since then, the team has failed to qualify for the global tournament.
“The World Cup qualifiers have suffered greatly in the past six years since I left office. The only time Nigeria qualified was in 2018, but since then, the team has struggled,” he said.
He pointed to Nigeria’s recent performance against Rwanda as a glimmer of hope, but the draw against Zimbabwe, he noted, had further dampened expectations.
Dalung blamed inconsistent policies and the abolition of the Ministry of Sports for Nigeria’s declining football fortunes.
He argued that the lack of a strong political will has hindered the country’s ability to support the national team effectively.
“The problem with Nigerian sports is the absence of committed leadership. We have experienced constant policy changes and leadership instability.
The Ministry of Sports was disbanded and replaced with the National Sports Commission, which is a technical body, not a policymaking one,” he explained.
The former minister also emphasized that even the best football coach would struggle without the right institutional support.
“Even with the best coach in the world, a country still needs political leadership to inspire players, mobilize support, and drive the team to victory. That element is missing in the current setup,” he added.
Dalung believes Nigeria can still salvage its qualification hopes if urgent measures are taken to restore stability and leadership in the sports sector.
“Except something extraordinary happens, the Super Eagles’ chances of making it to the next World Cup remain uncertain,” he warned.