FORMER Super Eagles captain and Nigerian football legend Mikel John Obi has issued a scathing criticism of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), insisting the entire board must step down if Nigeria fails to qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
News Point Nigeria Sports reports that speaking on the Obi One Podcast, the ex-Chelsea midfielder expressed frustration at Nigeria’s precarious position in the qualification race, warning that missing out on back-to-back World Cups would be disastrous for Nigerian football.
“If Nigeria doesn’t qualify for the World Cup, the entire NFF board has to go… it’s unacceptable,” Mikel declared.
“We didn’t qualify for Qatar, the last World Cup and now it looks like again we are not going to make it. Honestly, I have nothing to say about it. It is just horrible.”
Nigeria’s Super Eagles are currently third in Group C of the African qualifiers, with just two games remaining. After eight matches, they have amassed only 11 points, six points behind leaders South Africa’s Bafana Bafana.
The qualification format allows the group winners to progress directly to the World Cup, while the four best second-placed teams advance to a playoff round.
Nigeria’s slim hopes now depend not only on winning their remaining fixtures against Lesotho (away) and Benin Republic (home) but also on results elsewhere going in their favour.
Failure to achieve this would mean the Super Eagles miss out on football’s biggest tournament for the second time in a row after also failing to qualify for the 2022 Qatar World Cup.
While many fans have criticised the team’s performance, Mikel Obi defended the players and shifted the bulk of the blame to football administrators.
“Do you blame the players? No, I don’t blame the players. Yes, the players have to take responsibility for the situation but are you gonna blame the players alone? No,” he said.
“The biggest challenge is from the top. Those who run football in this country must be held accountable.”
The former Lyn Oslo and Chelsea midfielder added that the lack of proper planning, organisation, and leadership within the NFF has contributed significantly to Nigeria’s struggles, saying it is a major reason why African football is often disrespected globally.
Mikel’s comments have reignited conversations around the need for structural reform in Nigerian football. Many fans and pundits share his concerns, saying that repeated administrative failures, lack of transparency, and poor technical decisions have hurt the national team’s chances.
He urged the football federation to put its house in order, invest in proper grassroots development, and provide the necessary support to the national team to avoid future embarrassments.
Nigeria’s road to the 2026 World Cup is now a do-or-die affair. The Eagles will first travel to Maseru to face Lesotho before returning home to host neighbours Benin Republic in what could be a decisive fixture.
If Nigeria wins both games and results elsewhere go their way, they could sneak into the playoff stage as one of Africa’s best second-placed teams.