Amaju Pinnick: Nigeria Will Not Only Qualify For 2030 World Cup, We Will Make Significant Impact
Deputy Chairperson of the FIFA Men’s National Teams Competition Committee and former President of the Nigeria Football Federation, Amaju Pinnick, has expressed confidence that Nigeria will not only qualify for the 2030 FIFA World Cup but will also make a strong impact at the tournament.
Speaking in an interview on ARISE News on Thursday, Pinnick said the future of Nigerian football was bright despite the Super Eagles missing a second consecutive World Cup.
Reflecting on Nigeria’s absence from the 2026 tournament, he described the country’s failure to qualify as one of his greatest disappointments.
“It really gets into me, you know, because is one of my saddest moments where we didn’t qualify when I was president and not qualified again,” he said.
Pinnick, however, said developments within the national team setup and the work being done by the current NFF leadership had given him confidence that Nigeria was on the right path.
“The NFF right now, if you know what they are doing, they’ve been playing matches consistently. And aside just this game, which is also some display of good football artistry, they’ve occupied themselves, and that is a turning point.”
He said the foundations of a successful football federation rested on the strength of its senior men’s national team and expressed optimism about the current crop of players.
“Now the bedrock of any football federation is, one, your national team, your male national team. And I believe you know that we are getting it right. We have a coach, we have a football, we have a team, and we have young enterprising players.”
Pinnick also pointed to emerging talents being monitored by the NFF as evidence that the country’s football future remained promising.
“Then watch out for Yohanna. I personally did a review on him, the Yohanna boy that has gone to Brighton. That’s the future. The NFF is monitoring him, they’re talking to him.”
He added: “So the future looks very good.”
Looking ahead to the next World Cup cycle, Pinnick made a bold prediction about Nigeria’s prospects on the global stage.
“I want to believe we are not just going to qualify for the next World Cup, that I can say, we are going to make a very prominent presence.”
He also backed the Super Eagles to challenge strongly for continental honours before then.
“The next Nations Cup is ours, by God’s grace.”
Pinnick said success would depend on unity and sustained support for Nigerian football, stressing that he remained actively involved as a stakeholder in the game.
“Whatever we need this country, a greater country is what I stand for any day.”
Nigeria will miss the expanded 48-team 2026 FIFA World Cup, which is being hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico, after failing to secure qualification from the African qualifying campaign. The Super Eagles are now expected to rebuild towards the 2030 tournament and the next Africa Cup of Nations.
Faridah Abdulkadiri
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