Nigerians have a different constitution, but can football fans endure another World Cup heartbreak just two years later?

Nigeria’s participation in the FIFA World Cup; the biggest carnival in sport, is not an issue that any interested party continues to ignore.

The financial implications are immense for the Football Association, the players and their clubs, but small and medium-sized businesses are also bearing the brunt.

As one of the largest stakeholders in Nigerian sports, Brila Media Limited has lent its voice to almost every conversation aimed at the promotion and improvement of the industry.

But when the Gabonese referee blew the final whistle, two fundamental questions came to mind: Why is our greatest brand of football failing? Is this 2022 over again?

In 2022, the NFF not only lost $1.5 million due to the teams’ participation in the Qatar World Cup. Our Super Eagles also lost the $9 million for teams entering the group stage.

One or two NPFL clubs would have received alerts of $10,000 per day as long as their player remained in the tournament and $180,000 just for appearing on the squad list in the group stage, according to statista.com.

However, these are only small advantages. The bigger picture is the scale of marketing and partnerships, image or brand building, and projected investment and profit prospects – up and down the value chain.

As a sports media intrapreneur dedicated to showing the positive of our beloved nation, I must publicly admit that decisions made by others make it difficult to do so at times.

Our luck in the way we deal with matters related to sports will eventually run out because we are now on the edge of the precipice. Structure, leadership, budgeting, and professionalism are just a few of the things we need to prioritize so we can get it right again.

Not being able to qualify for the 2006 World Cup seemed like a nightmare to me. We don’t want our nightmares to become norms. The time has come for all stakeholders to tell it like it is here. We must be intentional about creating moments that the next generation can brag about.

However, despite these setbacks and sadness, I remain steadfast in my support, carrying my passion for the Super Eagles in my heart with the hope that better days are ahead.