Following the painful exit of the Super Eagles from the 2026 World Cup qualifiers, Nigerian winger Samuel Chukwueze has extended his congratulations to DR Congo while pleading with Nigerians to forgive the team.
The AC Milan star expressed deep disappointment after the Super Eagles were eliminated via penalty shootout, describing the result as difficult to accept.
“Nigeria is a team made up of top-level players. Tonight was a disastrous night and a difficult one to accept. We will come back stronger and more mature,” Chukwueze said.
He maintained that the loss was not due to a lack of quality, praising the talent within the Super Eagles squad but admitting that football can be unpredictable.
“Regarding talent, it’s not a question of quality; we have a very talented team, perhaps even more so than Congo’s. But football is cruel it’s not about talent, just an off day.”
Chukwueze also commended DR Congo for their performance and determination that earned them qualification.
“Well done to our opponent, who was impenetrable in every area. It’s been a long time since I’ve seen a team play so skillfully as the DRC. They accomplished their mission. Congratulations and good luck for the future.”
He ended with an emotional apology to Nigerians:
“I apologize to our people.”
Nigeria will now shift focus to rebuilding and preparing for future international engagements.
