Former Super Eagles goalkeeper, Peterside Idah, has shared his perspective on Nigeria’s potential to host the FIFA World Cup, suggesting that it could take up to 40 years for the country to achieve this goal.
Nigeria has previously hosted two youth World Cup events, the Under-20 tournament in 1999 and the Under-17 event in 2009. However, it has not yet had the opportunity to host the senior FIFA World Cup, unlike South Africa, which successfully hosted the tournament in 2010, and Morocco, which is set to host it in 2030.
Speaking on Channels TV’s Sunrise Daily program, Idah, a 49-year-old former Nigerian international goalkeeper, pointed out that Nigeria currently has only one stadium that meets the required standards for hosting a global football tournament, which is the Uyo Stadium.
“On record presently, the only playing field which we have is a grass stadium, and it is the Uyo Stadium, but 20 years anything is still very long; maybe in the next 40 years, we would have had some kind of stability,” Idah remarked.
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Idah emphasized the need for significant improvements in Nigeria’s sports infrastructure and facility maintenance before the country could seriously consider hosting a prestigious event like the FIFA World Cup.
He highlighted that stadiums and sports facilities must be properly maintained, and investments in infrastructure and organizational capacity are necessary to make a credible bid for hosting the World Cup. Nigeria’s recent unsuccessful bid to host the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) underscored the challenges the country faces in competing for such major sporting events.
In summary, while Nigeria has shown its ability to host youth World Cup tournaments, hosting the senior FIFA World Cup remains a long-term goal that will require substantial investment and development in various aspects of sports infrastructure and facilities.
