Former Super Eagles captain, John Mikel Obi has branded Nigeria’s failure to qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup an “absolute shame,” calling for an immediate overhaul of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF).
Speaking on the latest episode of his popular Obi One Podcast on Wednesday, the former Chelsea midfielder described the pain of watching Nigeria miss out on the global stage once again.
“We failed to qualify twice in a row. It’s a shame we won’t see a striker like Osimhen in his prime there. He’s one of the best and belongs on that stage.”
Mikel laid the blame squarely on the NFF leadership, accusing them of repeated administrative failures and an inability to learn from past mistakes.
“Changes must be made; the whole NFF board has to go, they keep repeating mistakes and have failed at their job.”
He laid bare the rot at the heart of Nigerian football, describing the corruption inside the NFF as “incredible” and accusing it of operating as a “cabal” in which the president “answers to the people who put him there” and who expect regular kickbacks.
He was equally scathing about the federation’s chronic failure to pay players’ winning bonuses, a long-standing grievance that triggered a damaging training boycott just days before the crucial World Cup playoff against Gabon.
“Corruption has to Stop” – Mikel Obi
The former Super Eagles captain also ridiculed the bizarre “voodoo” episode that emerged after Nigeria penalty shootout loss to DR Congo.
He was shocked at the reports that players had been given protective charms and dismissing the coach’s post-match claim of supernatural interference as “the lamest excuse you can come up with.”
From Mikel’s view, this is another symptom of the deeper mismanagement and corruption that have kept Nigeria out of the World Cup for eight years, twice in succession under the current administration.
“The corruption has to stop, it has to be rooted out of the game,” he said.
Mikel insisted that until the entrenched syndicate inside the NFF is completely dismantled and replaced with independent, accountable leadership, no meaningful progress is possible for Nigerian football.
“Winning AFCON Will Not Erase the Pain” – Mikel
The 2013 Africa Cup of Nations winner warned that even winning the upcoming AFCON in Morocco would not erase the disappointment.
“AFCON is a month and a half away, we need to regroup. Does winning it help the mood? For me, no.”
“Nigerians want our country at the World Cup, competing with the big boys.”
When asked if he would ever consider a role in Nigerian football administration to help drive reform, Mikel left the door open.
