Former Super Eagles coach Oliseh slams Italy's World Cup failure as 'total disaster'

Former Super Eagles coach Sunday Oliseh has lambasted Italy's failure to qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, calling it a 'total disaster' for Italian football. Italy was eliminated after a penalty shoot-out loss to Bosnia and Herzegovina in the European play-off final, marking their third consecutive World Cup absence after missing 2018 and 2022 tournaments.

Oliseh, a former Juventus midfielder, expressed his dismay on X (formerly Twitter) on Wednesday, saying: 'Watching this World Cup play-off final for Italy is a nightmare. It is genuinely heartbreaking to see what happens to a great football nation when they miss back-to-back World Cups. Seeing them eliminated by Bosnia and missing out for a third straight time is more than just a bad game; it is a total disaster for the soul of Italian football. The team looks broken. The players have no confidence, they look like they’ve forgotten how to play at the top level, and the talent just isn’t there anymore.'

Italy, a four-time World Cup champion with their last triumph in 2006, has seen a significant decline in international performance. For Nigerian football followers, Oliseh's critique is particularly resonant given his deep involvement with African football as both a player and coach.

This incident raises questions about football development pipelines and team management. With Nigeria also navigating World Cup qualifiers, what measures must be implemented to ensure the Super Eagles avoids a similar fate of declining talent and confidence?

SOURCE: https://dailypost.ng/2026/04/02/world-cup-2026-total-disaster-oliseh-on-italys-failure-to-qualify/