World Cup 2026: ₦20b down the drain!

•How Nigeria’s costliest qualification campaign ended in failure
 
By Joe Apu, Rasaq Oboiren, Romanus Ugwu and Bolaji Okunola
When FIFA expanded the 2026 World Cup from 32 to 48 teams, it was supposed to be Nigeria’s route back to football’s biggest stage. Africa’s allocation increased from five to nine automatic places, giving traditional powerhouses like Nigeria a greater margin for error.
Instead, the Super Eagles turned what should have been the easiest qual