John Mikel Obi

Former Super Eagles captain John Mikel Obi has called for the disbandment of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) if the national team fails to qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

Nigeria’s chances of reaching the tournament now hang by a thread after a 1–1 draw with South Africa in Bloemfontein left the Eagles third in Group C, six points adrift of the Bafana Bafana, with only two games remaining.

Speaking on the Obi One Podcast, the former Chelsea midfielder blamed the NFF’s poor leadership for the team’s struggles. “If Nigeria doesn’t qualify for the World Cup, the entire NFF board has to go… It’s unacceptable,” Mikel said. “We didn’t qualify for Qatar — the last World Cup — and now it looks like again we are not going to make it. Honestly, I have nothing to say about it. It is just horrible.”

While stressing that the players must also accept some responsibility, Mikel insisted the deeper problem lies in governance. “Do you blame the players? No. Yes, they have to take responsibility, but are you gonna blame the players alone? No. The biggest challenge is from the top,” he said, adding that the state of Nigerian football reflects poorly on the continent.

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Nigeria currently sits on 11 points from eight matches, six behind group leaders South Africa. With two fixtures remaining — away to Lesotho before hosting Benin Republic — the three-time African champions must win both and hope other results go their way to sneak into the play-offs as one of the four best second-placed teams.

The qualification series resumes next month, but the Super Eagles’ hopes are hanging by the slimmest of margins.