Former Nigeria international John Mikel Obi has stated that winning next month’s AFCON will not compensate for the Super Eagles’ failure to reach the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Mikel stressed that the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) board should resign immediately for failing in their main duty.
Speaking on his The Obi One Podcast, Mikel said: “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.”
The former World Cup midfielder added that Nigerian supporters have been deprived of the chance to watch Victor Osimhen perform on football’s biggest stage.
“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.”
Nigeria will again miss out on the World Cup after losing to DR Congo in the playoffs, drawing 1-1 after extra time before falling 4-3 on penalties.
DR Congo will now move on to the intercontinental playoffs in Mexico next March.