Super Eagles midfielder, Frank Onyeka, says Nigerians have the right to be upset at the time following their inability to qualify for the next FIFA World Cup.

Nigerians were left drooling after a penalty shoot-out defeat to DR Congo in the World Cup playoff final on Sunday, November 16.

The defeat raises structural and administrative concerns about how football is being run by the Nigeria Football Federation.

Speaking in a chat with British-Nigerian journalist Osasu Obayiuwana at the Casablanca Airport, Onyeka says the players are "hurting" as much as Nigerians are.

“We, the players, are hurting, just as much as Nigerians are hurting. Nigerians have every right to be very upset with us,” Onyeka said.

“It is very tough not to go to the next FIFA World Cup. Some of us may not be around in five years, in 2030.

“It’s painful. But we have an AFCON to play in 34 days and we need to get ready for that and do better than we did last time.”

It ended 1-1 in regulation time and Nigeria played a second 120 minutes in three days before the game was decided by shootout.

Nigeria, who had some of their best penalty takers on the bench, including first-choice taker, William Troost-Ekong, missed three kicks.