Mikel Obi Criticizes Nigeria Football Federation Over Super Eagles’ World Cup Failure
John Obi Mikel, a former Chelsea midfielder and Super Eagles legend, has publicly criticized the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) for the Super Eagles’ failure to qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
The West African football powerhouse missed out on the tournament for the second consecutive time, marking their first back-to-back absence from the World Cup since 1994. Despite advancing to the playoff stage of the African qualifiers, Nigeria’s hopes were dashed in a crucial final matchup against DR Congo.
The Super Eagles were held to a 1-1 draw after extra time and then lost in a penalty shootout, sealing their fate as they failed to secure a place in next year’s global football showpiece. In a candid conversation on the Obi One Podcast, Mikel expressed his frustration over the defeat and attributed the team’s inability to achieve qualification to the NFF.
The former midfield maestro described the outcome as ‘a failure’ and pointed out that despite strong performances against Gabon, Nigeria’s inability to overcome DR Congo highlighted the larger issues plaguing the national team.
“It’s a failure, that’s what it is. It was just a disappointment,” Mikel said. “We won against Gabon, but couldn’t defeat Congo. It’s all just negative, and that’s my frustration with the NFF. They’re not the right people to motivate these players.”
The loss means that Nigeria will not be participating in the 2026 World Cup, leaving the country’s passionate football fans disappointed once again. For Mikel, the blame falls squarely on the NFF, who he believes are not doing enough to support and motivate the players.
