Former Super Eagles captain, John Mikel Obi, has condemned Nigeria’s failure to qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, describing it as an absolute shame and insisting that the disappointment cannot be excused under any circumstances.
Naija News reports that Mikel, speaking on his Obi One Podcast, said even if the Super Eagles win the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) later in December, it would not erase the country’s World Cup heartbreak.
The former Chelsea midfielder made it clear that the World Cup miss cannot be overshadowed by a potential AFCON triumph.
“But does it 100% make it up for it? I don’t think so,” he said.
“We want to see ourselves in the World Cup. I said it, if we do not qualify for the World Cup, the NFF, the whole board has to go. They have to go, because you can’t keep repeating the same mistake every time and thinking something is going to change.”
He criticised the Nigeria Football Federation for what he called repeated administrative failures.
Obi said, “It’s just going to be the same results if you have the same people doing the same thing and failing all the time, and you give them one more time, no.”
A Shame We Won’t See Our Best Striker on the Biggest Stage
Mikel lamented that Nigerian fans have been denied the chance to watch the country’s top striker perform at a world level, an opportunity he said should never be lost to poor administration.
“It’s a shame that you can’t see a striker in his prime, absolutely on fire, not going to be in the World Cup,” Obi said.
Comparing the situation to global stars whose countries fought to be at the World Cup, he added, “Haaland knew about it. Twenty-eight years or 30 years, they haven’t been in the World Cup? He knows. As one of the best strikers in the world, he has to be in the World Cup. That’s where he belongs.”
Mikel stressed that Nigeria’s leading forward deserved that same honour.
“It’s a shame that we can’t see our best striker in Africa on that biggest stage, competing, showcasing his talents, scoring goals for our country, for our nation, Africa, Nigeria,” the former Super Eagles star stated.
Obi warned that immediate reforms are necessary, especially with the AFCON only weeks away.
“So for me, going forward again, we talk about it. Yes, it’s a short time to make changes now before leading up to the Nations Cup, but those changes have to be made. Those changes have to be made,” he said.
Mikel Obi stressed that nothing would change unless the football leadership is overhauled.
Reiterating his long-held stance, Mikel said the NFF board “must step aside” following what he described as a complete failure of duty.
“They’re going to keep failing. They had a job to do. They had a job to do, get to the World Cup. And they messed it up.”
“Their job is to take the country, the team to the World Cup, and they failed. They have absolutely failed,” he added.
