The hopes of the three-time African kings vanished into thin air after they lost the CAF playoffs final to DR Congo on penalties.
With the scores tied at 1-1 after 120 minutes, the Leopards silenced Eric Chelle’s men through kicks from the penalty spot to book a ticket to the inter-confederation playoffs billed for Mexico.
In a statement signed by Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, the president commended the players for their effort, but insisted the setback must now fuel a powerful response in Morocco.
“Notwithstanding the unfortunate loss, we must commend the players for their efforts and continue to support them,” it read.
“We must now plug all the loopholes. Our football administrators, players, and indeed all stakeholders must go back to the drawing board.
“Now is the time to focus all efforts on the Cup of Nations. Our Super Eagles must recover the lost glory.”
The 2013 African champions lost the automatic ticket to South Africa following a poor start in the qualifiers as they failed to win their first four matches.
Since their World Cup debut in 1994 in the United States, Nigeria had never missed back-to-back qualifications until now.
The country’s last participation was during the 2018 edition staged in Russia. There, the team lead by Gernot Rohr failed to get past the group phase after losses against Croatia and Argentina.
Nigeria’s attention now shifts to AFCON, where they will be aiming to claim a fourth title after finishing as runners-up in the last edition in Cote d’Ivoire.
Chelle's men are in Group C alongside Tanzania, Tunisia and Uganda. Their first match comes against the Taifa Stars on December 23 at the Fez Stadium.
