Eniola Aluko says Super Eagles’ World Cup miss due to on-field performance, not strike
Former England international Eniola Aluko has stated that the Super Eagles’ failure to qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup was caused by their performance against the Democratic Republic of Congo, not the pre‑match strike over unpaid entitlements. Speaking on ThePlayzone podcast, Aluko said the team lost the African playoff final to DR Congo in a penalty shoot‑out after beating Gabon in extra time, and that “we are not going to the Fifa World Cup because we lost to DR Congo. They were not good enough on the day.” She acknowledged the players’ two‑day strike two days before the Gabon semifinal was meant to pressure the Nigerian Football Federation to pay dues, but argued the timing distracted focus and should be eliminated by timely payments. Aluko, who earned over 100 caps for England and whose brother Sone played for the Super Eagles, added that while the strike was understandable, the Federations must pay players on time to remove any excuse for poor results. The article also notes related sports headlines, including Manchester United’s decision on André Onana and Pep Guardiola’s comments on English referees.