Confederation of African Football (CAF) President Patrice Motsepe has described the 2026 FIFA World Cup as incomplete without the participation of football powerhouses Nigeria and Cameroon, saying both nations remain among Africa’s most influential football countries.
Motsepe made the remarks on Wednesday during a global press conference in Johannesburg, South Africa, where he reviewed the performances of African teams at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Nigeria failed to qualify for the tournament, marking the Super Eagles’ second consecutive absence from the global showpiece after also missing the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
The Super Eagles, under head coach Eric Chelle, finished second behind South Africa in their qualification group before progressing past Gabon in the playoff semi-finals. Their campaign ended in the final playoff round after a 1-1 draw with the Democratic Republic of Congo, who advanced on penalties.
The Nigeria Football Federation later challenged the eligibility of some DR Congo players, but the appeal was dismissed.
Nigeria currently sit 26th in the latest FIFA Men’s World Rankings and are fourth among African nations, behind Morocco, Senegal and Egypt.
Speaking on Nigeria’s absence, Motsepe said the country’s rich football heritage and consistent contribution to African football made its absence deeply felt.
“I’m very proud of Nigeria and Cameroon. I can say the same about every one of the 54 nations. Nigeria didn’t make it this time.
“And I keep telling my Nigerian friends, a World Cup for me without Nigeria, without Cameroon and many others, is incomplete because Nigeria has always made us proud,” he said.
The CAF president also expressed confidence in the future of Nigerian football, noting that the country continues to produce some of the world’s finest football talents.
“Nigeria has got some of the best players not just in Africa but in the world, and I’m confident Nigeria will continue to make us proud as they did in the past, same Cameroon and same Bafana Bafana,” he added.
Motsepe further praised the unifying influence of the Super Eagles, recalling that during a visit to Nigeria he was told that national team matches transcend regional, ethnic and religious differences.
“When I went to Nigeria, I was told when the national team plays, there’s nobody from the north, there’s nobody from the south. We’re all Nigerians. There’s no Christian, there’s no Muslim. We are all Nigerians,” he said.
The CAF boss also highlighted the impressive performances of other African teams at the World Cup, citing Cape Verde’s campaign and Egypt’s performance against Argentina as evidence of the continent’s growing competitiveness on the global stage.
Motsepe also announced that CAF’s Ordinary General Assembly will be held in Abuja in November, describing Nigeria as a proud football nation and reaffirming the country’s importance to the development of the game across Africa.