Nigeria missed the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The team suffered a penalty shootout defeat to DR Congo in the second round of African qualifiers last November.
This loss confirmed the second straight absence from the tournament after the 2022 failure. The 2026 event will take place in the United States, Canada and Mexico.
Former Super Eagles captain John Obi Mikel described the result as a hammer blow. He highlighted Nigeria’s huge population of over 300 million people and its status as Africa’s biggest nation.
Moreover, Mikel noted the repeated failure hurt deeply for a country with such strong football heritage. He added that the situation felt very painful given the team’s rich history.
Mikel called for all Nigeria Football Federation officials to resign. He stated, “I’ve said it so many times that the FA, the people that are running the FA, they should all resign.” He continued, “They have to resign because it’s the second time it’s happened.” Additionally, Mikel insisted there must be accountability for the setbacks.
Mikel argued that new leaders could rebuild the national team. He pointed to Morocco’s recent progress as an example of successful planning and investment. Therefore he warned that Nigeria risked falling behind other African teams without urgent changes.
The former midfielder, who earned 89 caps and played in the 2014 and 2018 World Cups, spoke out to demand real progress for the Super Eagles.
