SUPER Eagles forward Moses Simon is keen on the team qualifying for the next World Cup in 2026 after narrowly missing out on the last edition in Qatar.
Simon is particularly desperate for the 2026 World Cup because it would be his first as he was not in the final squad for the 2018 edition in Russia due to injury after being heavily involved in the qualifying campaign.
“In 2018, at first, I felt really sad. I played all the qualification games, I started and I finished [the matches]. But in the end, I didn’t go to the World Cup,” the Nantes winger told FIFA in an interview published yesterday.
“It’s something I would not wish on my worst enemy. I was really devastated. But not any more. Now, I just think: ‘OK, I thank God for everything because I know that it’s for a reason.’
“It [not going to the 2018 World Cup and or qualifying for Qatar 2022] motivated me to keep working hard.”
Although the Super Eagles have not begun the qualifying campaign for the 2026 World Cup on a good note, with two draws against Lesotho and Zimbabwe, Simon is not giving up hope of going with the team to the United States of America, Mexico and Canada for the global tournament.
“I want to play in the next World Cup, it’s a dream,” he stressed.
“I just need to do my best, push and work hard. If the coach calls me, good. If he doesn’t and calls up someone else, I will be happy to support them.”
The 28-year-old has attended the FIFA U-20 World Cup twice though, and he recounts his experience.
“My first one was in 2013 in Turkey. I was 17, I was like a ball boy and I didn’t play one single game,” Simon recalls.
“I was really young but I was capable. Then there was 2015 in New Zealand. It was the farthest-away country I’ve ever been to, I thought we were going to the end of the world! I even felt sick because it was very long. But the World Cup was fantastic for me, really fantastic. We eventually lost [1-0 in the Round of 16 against Germany].”
Moses has been named in the Super Eagles provisional squad for the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations in Cote d’Ivoire in January and February, and he is expected to make Jose Peseiro’s final squad.
