Former Nigeria national football team captain John Obi Mikel has called for the resignation of the leadership of the Nigeria Football Federation following the country’s failure to qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Nigeria’s absence from the tournament, which will be co hosted by United States, Canada and Mexico, would mark the second consecutive time the Super Eagles miss out on football’s biggest stage.
Speaking during an interview on talkSPORT, the former Chelsea F.C. midfielder described the situation as a major setback for Nigerian football.
“It is a hammer blow and I have said it so many times that when you have a country as big as we do, over 300 million people, the biggest country in Africa, and we are not going to the World Cup for a second time in a row, the FA, the people that are running the FA should all resign,” Mikel said.
The former captain added that Nigeria possesses one of the strongest squads on the continent, making the failure to qualify even more disappointing.
“We have one of the best teams in Africa and we are not going to be at the World Cup. It’s a disaster. It’s a disaster,” he added.
However, Nigeria’s hopes of reaching the tournament are not completely over.
The NFF has filed a petition against DR Congo national football team, accusing them of fielding ineligible players during the African playoff final.
FIFA is expected to deliver its verdict on the case before the intercontinental playoff scheduled later this month, a decision that could still determine whether the Super Eagles’ World Cup dream can be revived.
