Former Nigeria international, John Mikel Obi, has expressed that winning next month’s Africa Cup of Nations would not compensate for the Super Eagles’ failure to qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Speaking on The Obi One Podcast, Mikel called for the immediate resignation of the Nigeria Football Federation board, arguing that they had failed in their fundamental duties.
“But does it 100% make it up for it? [winning the AFCON], I don’t think so, because we want to see ourselves in the World Cup. I said it, if we do not qualify for the World Cup, the NFF, the whole board has to go.
“They have to go, because you can’t keep repeating the same mistake every time and thinking something is going to change. It’s just going to be the same results. If you have the same people doing the same thing and failing all the time, and you give them one more time, no,” he stated.
Mikel, who represented Nigeria at the 2014 and 2018 FIFA World Cups, also lamented that fans would miss out on seeing striker Victor Osimhen in the global showpiece.
“It’s a shame that you can’t see a striker in his prime, in his prime, absolutely on fire, it’s not going to be in the World Cup. Haaland knew about it. 28 years or 30 years, they haven’t been in the World Cup? He knows. As one of the best strikers in the world, he has to be in the World Cup. He has to be, because that’s where he belongs. Competing in the World Cup, in the biggest stage. On the biggest stage, yeah. On the biggest stage, that’s where he belongs. And it’s a shame that we can’t see our best striker in Africa be in that biggest stage, competing, showcasing his talents, scoring goals for our country, for our nation, Africa, Nigeria,” Mikel added.
