Former Super Eagles captain, John Obi Mikel, has urged the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) leadership to resign following the national team’s failure to qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. He described missing back-to-back tournaments as a “hammer blow” for Nigeria.

Speaking on talkSPORT, Obi Mikel highlighted Nigeria’s potential, saying the country, with over 300 million people, deserved World Cup representation. He emphasised that the current NFF leadership should step down due to the team’s underperformance.

The 2026 World Cup will be co-hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico. Obi Mikel stressed that Nigeria has one of Africa’s strongest teams, making the failure to qualify a major disappointment for fans and players alike.

Nigeria still holds a slim chance through the NFF’s petition against DR Congo for allegedly fielding ineligible players during the African playoff final. FIFA is expected to deliver a verdict before the inter-continental playoff later this month in Mexico.