Former Super Eagles captain Mikel John Obi has launched a scathing criticism of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), warning that the entire leadership should step aside if Nigeria fail to qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Speaking on his ObiOne Podcast, Mikel voiced the frustration of millions of fans, describing the possibility of missing a second consecutive World Cup as “unacceptable.”
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“Now I feel for the people of my country. I feel for people in Nigeria, because they’re going to be devastated right now. Again, for the second time running, we’re not going to qualify for the World Cup,” Mikel said. “If we don’t qualify for the World Cup, the whole board of the NFF, they need to go. Sorry. They have to go.”
Nigeria’s qualification campaign has been marred by inconsistency, with the Super Eagles sitting outside the automatic qualification places after a series of disappointing draws.
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Their latest setback, a 1-1 draw against South Africa in Bloemfontein, leaves their chances hanging by a thread with just two matches left to play.
Mikel, who featured for Nigeria at both the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil and the 2018 edition in Russia, stressed that the problem goes beyond players’ performances.
“Yes, the players have to take responsibility, but the biggest problem is from the top,” he said. “You have to make those players motivated. Find a conducive way. When they come back home to play for Nigeria, they have to feel comfortable. And right now, nobody’s making that comfortable for them.”
The former Chelsea midfielder, who was part of the Nigeria team that made it to the Round of 16 at the 2014 World Cup and also led the team in Russia four years later, argued that Nigeria’s stature in African football makes back-to-back failures unimaginable.
“We are the biggest country, footballing country in Africa. The biggest,” he insisted. “So twice in a row, we don’t qualify? Something is wrong. Something is wrong. A drastic change has to be done.”
Mikel called for urgent reforms and even suggested government intervention if the NFF fails to act. But he also urged Nigerians not to lose hope entirely.
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“Still, the dream’s not dead and buried yet. We have two games left. We have to support the team behind the team,” he said. “But I’m saying if we don’t make it, a massive, drastic change has to be done. The whole board of the NFF has to go.”
With Nigeria’s back against the wall, the pressure on the NFF leadership, players, and coaching staff is now at an all-time high. For fans who once watched Mikel lead their nation at the world’s biggest football stage, the fear of missing another World Cup is cutting deep — and calls for sweeping change are only getting louder.
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