Former Nigerian international John Obi Mikel has called for the resignation of the entire board of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), led by Ibrahim Musa Gusau, following the Super Eagles’ failure to qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Nigeria crashed out of the qualification race after losing to DR Congo in a tense penalty shootout in November 2025.
Since making their World Cup debut in 1994, the Super Eagles have only missed the tournament three times — in 2006, 2022 and now 2026 — with the latest failure marking the country’s first consecutive absence from the competition.
Speaking with talkSPORT, Mikel, who earned 89 caps for Nigeria and represented the country at both the 2014 and 2018 FIFA World Cups, said those in charge of Nigerian football must take responsibility for what he described as a disastrous campaign.
“It’s a hammer blow. I’ve said it many times that when you have a country as big as ours, with over 300 million people, the biggest in Africa, and we’re not going to the World Cup for the second time in a row, the FA and those running it should resign,” he said.
According to him, the situation is unacceptable given Nigeria’s football pedigree and the quality of players available.
“We have one of the best teams in Africa and we’re not going to be at the World Cup. It’s a disaster — a complete disaster,” Mikel added.
He insisted that the leadership of the federation, including NFF president Ibrahim Musa Gusau and other officials, should step down.
“The people running the FA, the president and the administrators have to resign because African football is growing rapidly and we are being left behind. Nigeria is being left behind,” he said.
Mikel also pointed to Morocco as an example of progress in African football, saying Nigeria should be leading the way instead of falling behind.
“Look at what Morocco is doing with their national team and their football structure. They are growing and developing while we keep going backwards time after time,” he said.
