NFF Board Must Go If Nigeria Misses 2026 World Cup – Mikel Obi - Thepodiummedia

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Post published:September 12, 2025
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A former Super Eagles captain, Mikel Obi, has said the board of the Nigeria Football Federation should resign if the country fails to qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

Speaking on the Obi One Podcast on Thursday, the ex-Chelsea midfielder warned that missing the tournament for a second time running would be devastating for Nigerians.

“I feel for the people of my country. I feel for people in Nigeria because they’re going to be devastated right now. For the second time running, we’re not going to qualify for the World Cup. Does anything change if you don’t? Oh, man. It has to. It has to,” he said.

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Mikel stressed that accountability must start at the top, insisting that those in charge of Nigerian football cannot remain in office if the Eagles fall short again.

“If we don’t make it to the World Cup, I just think the whole board of the NFF needs to go. Twice in a row we don’t qualify, something is wrong. A drastic change has to be done,” he declared.

The former Super Eagles skipper argued that Nigeria, with its footballing pedigree, should not struggle to feature on the world stage.

“We are the biggest footballing country in Africa. I don’t care what anybody says. Nigeria is the biggest when it comes to African football. So if twice in a row we don’t qualify, something is definitely wrong,” he maintained.

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