The Super Eagles can't afford to miss out on a spot in the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, according to William Troost-Ekong.
The Super Eagles were eliminated from the 2021 AFCON finals after a 1-0 loss against Tunisia's Carthage Eagles on Sunday at the Roumde Adija Stadium in Garoua.
The former African champions will now focus on the playoff qualifiers against longtime rivals Ghana, which will take place next month.
Troost-Ekong stated that the Super Eagles are unhappy to be leaving early, but that they can compensate by securing a spot in the World Cup.
“Obviously we are disappointed with the outcome of the game against Tunisia, but that is football, there is nothing we can do about it,” he said.
“The next target for us now is to qualify for the World Cup. The experience the last time in Russia was great and we are all looking forward to making it to Qatar this time around,"
“We know how strong the Ghana team is. They have a lot of quality and young players in their team, but we will be up for it,” he concluded.