John Mikel Obi, former Super Eagles captain has called for sweeping reforms at the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), following the country’s failure to qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Mikel described Nigeria’s absence from the tournament as a major setback, saying the situation required urgent action and a complete review of the country’s football administration.
Speaking on the Obi One Podcast, the former Chelsea midfielder said the NFF leadership should take responsibility for the team’s consecutive World Cup qualification failures.
“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 said.
The 2013 Africa Cup of Nations winner said he sympathised with Nigerians who were disappointed by the Super Eagles’ failure to secure a place at the global football showpiece.
“I feel for the people of my country. I feel for my people in Nigeria because they are going to be devastated right now,” he said.
Mikel, who represented Nigeria at the 2014 and 2018 FIFA World Cups, said the country’s status as one of Africa’s leading football nations made the situation 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.
Nigeria’s failure to qualify for the 2026 World Cup marks the second consecutive time the Super Eagles will miss the competition, after also failing to qualify for the 2022 edition in Qatar.
Before the recent setbacks, Nigeria had missed only one World Cup tournament since making its debut in 1994, after failing to reach the 2006 edition held in Germany.
The failure to qualify has also resulted in financial losses for Nigeria, with reports indicating that the country missed out on at least 12.5 million dollars in FIFA participation revenue, excluding potential earnings from progressing to later stages of the tournament.
The development has increased calls from former players, supporters and football stakeholders for major reforms to strengthen Nigeria’s football structure and restore the Super Eagles’ competitiveness internationally.
