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Former Super Eagles captain John Obi Mikel has urged the leadership of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) to resign following Nigeria’s failure to qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Nigeria’s absence from the global tournament, which will be co-hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico next summer, has triggered renewed criticism of the country’s football administration. Mikel described the situation as a major setback for a nation with a massive football fan base.
Speaking during an interview on talkSPORT, the former Chelsea F.C. midfielder expressed strong disappointment over the development.
According to him, “It is a hammer blow. I have said many times that when you have a country as big as ours, with over 300 million people — the largest in Africa — and we fail to qualify for the World Cup for the second time in a row, the FA and those running it should all step down.
“We have one of the strongest teams in Africa, yet we will not be at the World Cup. It’s a disaster, a real disaster.”
Nigeria last featured at the World Cup during the 2018 FIFA World Cup, and the possibility of missing two consecutive tournaments has left many fans deeply frustrated.
However, Naija News reports that the Super Eagles still have a slim chance of qualifying. The NFF has reportedly filed a petition with FIFA, accusing the DR Congo national football team of using ineligible players during the 2025 African playoff final.
World football’s governing body is expected to rule on the matter before the intercontinental playoff scheduled to take place later this month in Mexico. If the petition is upheld, Nigeria could still have an opportunity to return to contention for a place at the tournament.