Former Nigeria international Gbenga Okunowo has admitted that the Super Eagles’ absence from the FIFA World Cup continues to leave a huge void, insisting football fans around the world still expect Nigeria to be part of the global showpiece.

The former Barcelona defender described Nigeria’s failure to qualify for back-to-back World Cups as a major setback for the country’s football.

“The world still expects to see Nigeria at the World Cup,” Okunowo said.

The ex-Super Eagles star believes missing consecutive editions of football’s biggest tournament has done more than damage Nigeria’s reputation.

According to him, it has also affected the development of young players and reduced opportunities for Nigerian footballers to attract international attention.

“When Nigeria is not at the World Cup, our young players lose a massive platform to showcase themselves,” he added.

Okunowo stressed that the World Cup remains the biggest shop window in world football, with clubs and scouts closely monitoring emerging talents throughout the competition.

He warned that Nigeria’s continued absence could also affect the market value of players hoping to secure moves to Europe’s top leagues.

“It also weakens the country’s standing in world football,” he stated.

The former Barcelona full-back urged Nigerian football stakeholders to ensure the mistakes that led to consecutive World Cup qualification failures are not repeated.

Nigeria, three-time African champions, will now shift their focus towards qualifying for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations and beginning preparations for the 2030 FIFA World Cup, with many hoping the Super Eagles can return to football’s biggest stage after missing the last two editions.

Lafarge Africa, acquired by Chinese investors from the Swiss-based Holcim Group last year, has adopted HBM Nigeria Plc as its new name.

According to a regulatory filing sighted on Tuesday, the cement maker’s new name tallies with the company’s long-term goals and its resolve to better serve stakeholders.

“The name change received full shareholder approval at the Annual General Meeting (AGM) held on the 30th of April 2026,” the company stated in the Nigerian Exchange filing.

“The Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) has officially approved and issued the Certificate of Incorporation reflecting the name change,” it added.

In December 2024, Lafarge Africa disclosed that the Holcim Group had entered into a share purchase agreement with Huaxin Cement, headquartered in Wuhan, China, to acquire an 83.1 per cent stake in the company.

Until it divested its interest in Lafarge Africa, the Holcim Group held the controlling stake through Caricement BV and Associated International Cement Limited.

Regulatory hurdles, including a Senate directive ordering the Bureau of Public Procurement to halt the transaction last March, meant it was not closed until nine months after it was first made public.

READ ALSO: Champion Breweries appoints new managing director

“We cannot afford to wake up one day and realise that our cement industry, one of the backbones of our economy, is entirely in foreign hands,” said Shuaib Salisu, the senator representing Ogun Central, who raised the motion at the upper legislative body at the time.

The acquisition was valued at $1 billion (approximately ₦1.6 trillion) when the deal closed last August.

The first major expansion project under the new majority owner—a planned capacity increase of the Ashaka Cement plant in Gombe to 2MT and the Shagamu plant to 3.5MT—was announced early this year.

HBM Nigeria assured shareholders in the statement that their current share certificates and electronic holdings remain valid, despite the name change. They will be updated automatically by the registrars, it said.