Edi Umoh
Former Nigerian international, John Obi Mikel has called on the entire board of the Nigeria Football Federation led by Ibrahim Musa Gusau to resign following the failure of the Nigeria national football team to qualify for the upcoming 2026 FIFA World Cup.
The Super Eagles were eliminated from the qualification race after a tense penalty shootout defeat to the DR Congo national football team in November 2025.
Since making their debut at the 1994 FIFA World Cup, Nigeria have missed the tournament only three times, 2006, 2022 and now 2026, with the latest failure marking their first consecutive absence in that period.
Mikel, speaking with talkSPORT, said those in charge of Nigerian football must accept responsibility for what he described as a disastrous campaign.
He earned 89 caps for Nigeria and represented the country at the 2014 FIFA World Cup and 2018 FIFA World Cup.
“It’s a hammer blow and I’ve 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’re 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. They have to resign because it’s the second time that it’s happened.
“We have one of the best teams in Africa and we’re not going to be at the World Cup. It’s a disaster. It’s a disaster.
“So the people running the FA, the president (Ibrahim Musa Gusau) of the FA, the organisation people, they have to resign because African football is growing so much and we are being left behind. Nigeria’s been left behind.
“We should be leading the way. Look at what Morocco national football team is doing with their team, with their country. They’re growing; they’re developing and we keep going backwards time after time.”
