Osimhen Substitution Sparks Outrage as Nigeria Crash Out of World Cup Playoffs

Osimhen Substitution Sparks Outrage as Nigeria Crash Out of World Cup Playoffs

The early substitution of Super Eagles striker Victor Osimhen has drawn strong criticism from Nigerians after the national team failed to qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, losing on penalties to DR Congo on Monday night.

Nigeria were eliminated after a 1–1 draw across regulation and extra time, before losing the shootout. Calvin Bassey, Moses Simon, and Semi Ajayi missed their spot kicks, while Jerome Akor, Bruno Onyemaechi, and Chidera Ejuke scored theirs.

Veteran journalist Tomiwa Adenekan said Nigeria still lacks a true playmaker capable of feeding the Napoli forward.

“Osimhen works too hard for the ball. He needs someone to create chances for him. We cannot keep relying on average midfielders like Iwobi,” he said.

Sports analyst Chibuike Chukwu argued that the problem went beyond coaching.

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“Finidi coached only two of the nine qualifiers. Why are the players not raising their game? Once Osimhen left, there was no urgency,” he asked.

Another analyst, Victor Shodehinde, said the team remains over-dependent on Osimhen.

“Without Osimhen, the team cannot function. Only Benjamin Fredrick and Osimhen stood out,” he said.

Football enthusiast Tom Ojo faulted the timing of the substitutions.

“Lookman was troubling DR Congo’s defence before he was removed. Iwobi should have gone off instead,” he said.

Supporter Aziz Badmus blamed the midfield collapse.

“We lacked creativity in midfield and the wings faded. Once Osimhen was removed, DR Congo defended comfortably and pushed forward,” he said.

The defeat means Nigeria will miss the 2026 World Cup, failing to qualify from a group containing Lesotho, Zimbabwe, Rwanda, Benin and South Africa.

Osimhen Substitution Sparks Outrage as Nigeria Crash Out of World Cup Playoffs