Mikel Urges NFF Leaders to Resign After Nigeria Miss 2026 World Cup
Former Super Eagles captain John Obi Mikel has called on the leadership of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) to step down after Nigeria failed to qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
The former midfielder described the situation as a serious disappointment for Nigerian football, noting that the Nigeria national football team will miss the global tournament for the second time in a row.
Nigeria’s hopes of reaching the tournament ended last November after a penalty shootout defeat to the DR Congo national football team in the second round of African qualifying. The loss confirmed that the three-time African champions would not take part in the competition in North America unless an unlikely late ruling from FIFA changes the outcome.
For a country often regarded as one of Africa’s leading football nations, the failure has drawn strong reactions from former players and supporters across the country.
Mikel, who played 89 times for Nigeria and featured at the 2014 FIFA World Cup and the 2018 FIFA World Cup, admitted that the result was painful considering Nigeria’s rich football history.
“When you have a country as big as Nigeria with such a huge population and football culture, not qualifying for the World Cup twice in a row is very painful,” he said.
The former Chelsea FC midfielder was also part of the Nigerian side that won the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations, the nation’s third continental title.
According to him, the repeated failure should lead to serious reflection within the federation.
Mikel insisted that those in charge of running the sport must take responsibility for the poor results and allow new leadership to bring fresh ideas to rebuild the national team.
“I’ve said it many times — the people running the FA should all resign,” he said.
“It’s the second time we’ve failed to qualify for the World Cup, and there has to be accountability.”
The former midfielder also warned that Nigeria could lose its position among Africa’s top football nations if urgent reforms are not introduced.
He pointed to the progress made by the Morocco national football team as an example of how proper planning, investment, and long-term development can improve a country’s performance on the international stage. ⚽
