Former Super Eagles captain John Mikel Obi has called for a complete overhaul of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) following the Super Eagles’ failure to qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Speaking on the Obi One Podcast, the former Chelsea midfielder described Nigeria’s absence from the tournament as a major disappointment and urged the federation’s leadership to step down after the team failed to qualify for a second consecutive World Cup.
“I feel for the people of my country. I feel for my people in Nigeria because they are going to be devastated right now,” Mikel said.
“I just feel the entire board of the NFF needs to go. Twice in a row we failed to qualify. It means something is wrong. A drastic change has to be carried out.”
Mikel argued that Nigeria’s reputation as one of Africa’s leading football nations makes back-to-back World Cup qualification failures unacceptable.
“We are the biggest footballing nation in Africa, and failing to qualify is an indication that something is wrong and that requires drastic action,” he added.
The former midfielder, who helped Nigeria win the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations, represented the country at the 2014 and 2018 FIFA World Cups and has consistently advocated reforms in the administration of Nigerian football.
Nigeria’s failure to reach the 2026 World Cup marks the second consecutive tournament the Super Eagles have missed, following their absence from the 2022 edition. Before then, the team had failed to qualify only once since making its World Cup debut in 1994, missing the 2006 tournament in Germany.
Beyond the sporting setback, the country’s failure to qualify is also expected to have financial consequences, with Nigeria missing out on at least $12.5 million in FIFA participation prize money, as well as additional revenue that could have been earned through progress in the competition.
The Super Eagles’ failure has intensified calls from former players, supporters and football stakeholders for far-reaching reforms aimed at restoring Nigeria’s status among Africa’s top football nations.
