Two World Cups Missed: What Mikel Obi's Criticism Reveals About Nigerian Football

Two World Cups Missed: What Mikel Obi's Criticism Reveals About Nigerian Football

By Admin 

Former Super Eagles captain John Mikel Obi has delivered a scathing assessment of the Nigerian Football Federation (NFF) in the wake of Nigeria’s failure to qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, describing the outcome as a “disaster” and a failure ', BSNSports.com.ng reports.

Speaking on The Obi One Podcast, the former Chelsea midfielder expressed deep frustration over the team’s performance in the decisive play-off fixtures and the administrative challenges that surrounded them.

“It was just a disappointment,” the 38-year-old said, reflecting on the failed qualification campaign. Mikel revealed that players missed key training sessions ahead of crucial matches, and he criticised decisions by football officials which, according to him, contributed to a drop in team morale.

“I did say it whatever it takes for the NFF to make the players comfortable for the play-offs should’ve been done. But what did they do? A few days after that, something else came up,” he said, referring to recurring administrative issues.

Nigeria’s failure to qualify means the Super Eagles have now missed consecutive FIFA World Cups for the first time since making their debut in 1994 a development Mikel described as alarming.

“It has happened time after time, year after year. Two consecutive World Cups missed it’s a disaster. Where do we go from here? When it comes to African football, we’re no longer the giants of Africa. Let’s not kid ourselves,” he stated.

Despite his criticism of the federation’s leadership, Mikel maintained that Nigeria still possesses a talented squad capable of competing at the highest level. However, he argued that poor governance has consistently undermined the team’s potential.

“When the people in charge constantly put the team in negative situations, it brings the whole team down,” he said.

Mikel, who represented Nigeria at the 2014 and 2018 World Cups and helped secure the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations title, called for urgent reforms within the NFF to restore the nation’s footballing stature.