Super Eagles assistant captain Moses Simon on Tuesday took to his social media account to apologise to Nigerians following the team’s underwhelming performances in their first two games of the 2026 World Cup qualifiers against Lesotho and Zimbabwe, PUNCH Sports Extra reports.
After missing out on the last edition of the World Cup in Qatar, the Eagles are walking another tightrope after kicking off the qualifying series with two draws against lowly-ranked teams.
Despite being tagged as the favourites, the three-time African champions in the first game against Lesotho came from behind to steal a point at the Godswill Akpabio Stadium in Uyo last Thursday.
The Eagles created a lot of chances but were wasteful as the absence of Napoli striker, Victor Osimhen, was hugely felt.
It was the same narrative in their second game against Zimbabwe at the Huye Stadium in Rwanda.
Unlike in the first game, Jose Peseiro’s men put up a poor display and couldn’t live up to expectations despite playing at a neutral venue.
The Eagles were at the back foot against Zimbabwe and it was no surprise when Walter Musona’s 35-yard free-kick beat Francis Uzoho to hand the Warriors the lead in the 26th minute.
They however, managed to equalise through Kelechi Iheanacho in the 67th minute but couldn’t find the much-needed winning goal as both sides settled for a draw in Rwanda.
The draw means the Eagles have just two points from a possible six points and are third in their Group C, two points behind Rwanda, who surprisingly defeated South Africa on Tuesday.
The team’s poor performance has caused uproar among fans who are already calling for the sacking of the Portuguese tactician.
However, Nantes star Simon, who was part of the team has appealed for calm
“Not the result we wanted, but we will surely bounce back,” Simon wrote on his X account.
“Big apologies to our fans, you deserve better than the performance against Lesotho and Zimbabwe.
“We have overcome so many challenges in the past. And now is the time to reflect and come back stronger.”
The 2026 World Cup qualifiers resume in June 2024 with Nigeria hosting the Bafana Bafana, current leaders of Group C, before travelling to an away game against Benin Republic.
