Duro Ikhazuagbe
A former Arsenal and Manchester City defender, Bacary Sagna, admitted yesterday that the absence of Super Eagles from the 2026 FIFA World Cup has been felt throughout the tournament so far.
Sagna who is part of SuperSport’s 2026 FIFA World Cup broadcast team, played at two editions of the Mundial as well as the UEFA Euro 2016, and enjoyed a distinguished career spanning more than a decade at the highest level of European football.
Speaking on the SuperSport’s World Cup virtual media round table yesterday, Sagna stressed that Nigeria as one of Africa’s traditional football powers, it was a big surprise to discover that the Super Eagles failed to qualify for a second back-to-back Mundial.
“Nigeria remains one of the biggest African nations,” recalled the former City defender. He expressed his shock on arriving at the tournament and unexpectedly seeing Alex Iwobi away from the pitch.
“When I landed, I saw Alex Iwobi and I was like, ‘Shouldn’t you be on the field?’ Then I realised they had not qualified.”
He argued that talent alone is never enough to guarantee qualification for the World Cup.
“Having great players doesn’t make a team and doesn’t make you win games.”
However, he urged supporters to remain patient during difficult periods.
“It is not a shame not qualifying. Yes, it is a disappointment, but players need support.”
Sagna believes supporters often underestimate the influence they have on performances. “The fans have no idea how much supporting the team helps the players.”
Drawing on his Arsenal career, Sagna explained that crowd support often changed games. “How many times did we turn situations around because of the fans? Not because of us,” he also recalled with nostalgia.
Sagna believes African football has reached one of its strongest periods and that the gap between Africa and Europe’s traditional powers continues to narrow.
He was emphatic that Morocco’s recent success is no coincidence but the result of more than a decade of investment in youth football.
Sagna singled out the Mohammed VI Football Academy as one of the continent’s best long-term development projects.
“In 2009 and 2010 they created the Mohammed VI Academy. The fruits of that investment are reflecting now.”
He explained that many of Morocco’s current internationals either developed through the academy or benefited from strong development systems in Europe before representing Morocco.
“Those kids playing now were probably 12, 13 or 14 years old when the investment started.”
According to Sagna, successful national teams are built years before they compete on the biggest stages.
“If you want to have a quality team, you need to focus on development.”
He also stressed that proper infrastructure requires sustained financial backing. “You can have good intentions, but without the funds to create the right environment, good pitches, healthcare and education, it becomes very difficult,” stressed the former French international.
Despite France’s narrow Round of 16 victory over Paraguay, Sagna believes Didier Deschamps’ side remain favourites to win the FIFA World Cup.
He argued that France traditionally grow into tournaments rather than starting at full speed, and that their difficult win over Paraguay actually demonstrated the team’s maturity.
“I still believe France has a good chance to win the World Cup because the national team never started a competition on the high. It has always been a build-up. It was the case in 2018, again in 2022 and again today.”
