Confederation of African Football President, Patrice Motsepe, says the 2026 FIFA World Cup was incomplete without Nigeria and Cameroon.

He spoke on Wednesday during a global press conference in Johannesburg, South Africa, where he reviewed the performance of African teams at the tournament.

Nigeria’s Super Eagles failed to qualify for the World Cup, marking their second successive absence from the global showpiece after also missing the 2022 edition in Qatar.

Eric Chelle’s side finished second behind South Africa in Group C of the CAF qualifiers before edging Gabon in a playoff semi-final.

Their qualification bid ended in the final playoff round, where they lost to the Democratic Republic of Congo on penalties following a 1-1 draw.

The Nigeria Football Federation had challenged the Democratic Republic of Congo’s eligibility for the tie, alleging the use of ineligible players, but the appeal was dismissed.

Nigeria have since dropped to fourth position among