Nigeria’s failure to qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup has reopened old wounds in the country’s football establishment, with former internationals demanding federal government intervention against the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) even as National Sports Commission (NSC) Director-General Bukola Olopade has mounted a vigorous defence of the board.
The anger has been sharpened by Africa’s historic showing at the tournament. Nine of the continent’s 10 representatives – Morocco, Egypt, South Africa, Cote d’Ivoire, Cape Verde, Senegal, Ghana, DR Congo and Algeria – reached the Round of 32, with only Tunisia eliminated in the group phase. For many Nigerians, watching the rest of the continent thrive without the three-time African champions has turned frustration into outrage.
Former Green Eagles captain and 1980 AFCON winner Segun Odegbami said Nigeria’s absence reflects a deeper rot in the country’s football administration, and called for structural intervention from government.
‘This is a very, very sad situation for us,’ Odegbami said. ‘There’s no reason on earth that Nigeria should not be one of 10 countries going to that World Cup. As Nigerians, we should be one of the top one or two, not outside the top 10. So there’s no reason anybody can justify that. And to say back-to-back, it is a sad commentary on the state of our football.’
He said responsibility lies squarely with those running the game.
‘We cannot put the blame at the footsteps of anybody else but the administration that is in charge,’ Odegbami further said. ‘We need as a country to look at that place. That’s where the whole issue is. We are doing things that are not right, and we keep repeating it, and we are expecting that it’s going to be righted. No, it cannot.’
Odegbami said the disappointment is visible even in how the tournament is being consumed at home. ‘Look at what is going on in the country. The World Cup is going on, there’s no energy, we can’t even watch well, we are not enjoying it,’ he said. ‘The Nigerian government must not allow what brought us to this point to continue. They have to do something.’
Olopade, however, rejected calls for the removal of NFF President Ibrahim Gusau and his board, insisting any change must follow due process.
‘I’m not going to undemocratically push for a change,’ Olopade said in a recent interview . ‘Any change must be done democratically. And I’ve always said that.’
He pushed back on the framing that Nigeria has now missed successive World Cups under the same failed leadership, drawing a distinction between the current board and its predecessor.
‘Aside from not qualifying for the World Cup, how did President Gusau and his board fail Nigeria? Because we need to be fair to one another,’ Olopade said. ‘I know I’ll get a lot of backlash from this. Apart from not qualifying for this World Cup – because I’ve heard people saying they did not qualify for two World Cups. No, that was Amaju Pinnick. And that consumed Amaju Pinnick, yes. Truly so.’
Olopade pointed to other results under Gusau’s tenure as evidence of progress. ‘How has Gusau failed? If he qualified our women – why are we ignoring the fact that our women are thriving under this NFF? Why are we ignoring the fact that we got to the highest level of the World Cup under Gusau? We got to the semi-finals of the AFCON and narrowly lost out to Cote d’Ivoire under Gusau. We got to the semi-finals and lost by penalties under Gusau.’
He also credited collaboration between the NFF and NSC for salvaging what had looked like a doomed qualification campaign. ‘Even the World Cup – between the collaboration, working between the NFF and the NSC, we got to the playoff at a time where, before Finidi George came on board, we were second to the last with just three points,’ Olopade said. ‘When you look at the performance indicators, and you look at some of the things Gusau is doing, you would agree with me that they are working towards some of the noise we are making.’
Rather than push for a change of leadership, Olopade said he intends to press for internal reform through dialogue. ‘We are going to sit down with Alhaji Gusau, along with NSC Chairman Shehu Dikko, Hon. Elegbeleye, Dr. Mohammed Sanusi and His Excellency the DG of NIS, along with stakeholders – because they must know that others can contest against them,’ he said. ‘As NSC, we cannot directly intervene in the election process, but we are going to ask them to carry out the necessary reforms and enlarge the NFF Congress as many have agitated.’
Between success and failure
Bolaji Douglas, who won the now-discontinued African Cup Winners’ Cup with BCC Lions in 1990, dismissed Olopade’s comparison to the Super Falcons as a deflection from the substance of the failure.
‘I am struggling to understand how he compares the women’s team qualifying for the World Cup, or even brought that into this argument. Should we wait until they fail to qualify before we realise the federation failed the nation?’ Douglas said. ‘If failing to qualify for two consecutive World Cups does not amount to failure in the year when Africa got 10 slots, then perhaps someone needs to break this down so that he can see the cost of not qualifying. This flippant throwing of unrelated statistics around is worrying because it is not being honest with the truth.’
Douglas said the financial cost of missing the tournament twice running cannot be waved away, particularly given the NFF’s reliance on government funding. He also raised the human cost for Nigeria’s biggest stars. ‘Players like Osimhen, Lookman and a host of others would not have the privilege of showcasing their skills at the World Cup at their prime,’ he said. ‘In four years’ time they would be in their 30s, that’s if we do qualify.’
He was equally dismissive of Olopade’s use of AFCON results to justify the board’s record. ‘Using AFCON results to justify anything is laughable at best,’ Douglas said. ‘The same federation has fired coaches, not once, not twice, for reaching the semi-finals because they deemed it not good enough. Not qualifying for the World Cup by a soccer-loving nation such as Nigeria is a national tragedy, and not one to even try to rub pancake over. Sometimes we just need to call a spade a spade so that we can learn from the lessons in the future.’
US-based former youth international Paul Okoku offered a more measured assessment, arguing that blame should not fall solely on the current board but that accountability remains essential.
‘It would be unfair to place the entire blame for Nigeria’s failure to qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup solely on the current NFF board,’ Okoku said. ‘Qualification campaigns are influenced by many factors, including technical decisions, player performance, administration, long-term planning and continuity. Some of the challenges predate the current administration. That said, leadership must also accept its share of responsibility. Successes should be celebrated, but failures must also be honestly evaluated.’
Okoku credited the board for the Super Eagles’ back-to-back AFCON finals and semi-final appearances and the Super Falcons’ continued dominance in Africa, but said those achievements should not overshadow the World Cup disappointment. ‘Both realities can exist at the same time,’ he said.
On whether the board should stay in office, Okoku said the decision should rest on a broader review rather than a single result. ‘It should be based on a comprehensive assessment of its overall performance, governance, financial transparency, football development, technical direction and strategic vision for the future,’ he said. ‘If the board has demonstrated the capacity to learn from its shortcomings, strengthen its structures and implement meaningful reforms, continuity may serve Nigerian football better than constant changes in leadership. However, continuity must be accompanied by measurable improvements and greater accountability.’
Going forward
Looking ahead, Okoku called for merit-based team selection free of outside interference, professional standards for referees, and stability in coaching appointments outside of clear misconduct or sustained poor results. He also urged renewed investment in the domestic league so home-based players are not shut out of the national team picture, alongside stronger grassroots development and long-term planning rather than reactive decision-making after each disappointment.
‘Nigeria has never lacked football talent,’ Okoku said. ‘Our greatest challenges have been leadership, governance, planning, implementation and accountability.’ He added that constructive criticism of the federation ‘should not be viewed as opposition; it is essential if Nigerian football is to regain its place among Africa’s and the world’s elite.’
Former Nigeria international goalkeeper Peterside Idah struck a more restrained tone, declining to weigh in directly on Olopade’s defence of the board. ‘He is running our sports, and if he says they are doing well, it’s left for Nigerians to decide,’ Idah said. ‘Nigerians are not happy we are not at the World Cup. But I believe the team has improved a lot, and the coaches should be allowed to continue. On how the federation is being run, I have no idea.’
About time for Gusau-led board
Former Brentford FC player Sam Sodje was far less restrained, saying it was shameful that those responsible for the qualifying failure remain in office while the rest of the continent moves forward without Nigeria.
‘African teams have played with system, and I am particularly in awe of what we have done in this competition,’ Sodje said. ‘Every one of them has shown they deserved to be in the tournament, and they have flown the continent’s flag very well. Honestly, Africa is not missing Nigeria at the World Cup. They are leaving us behind, and it is a shame that we are not part of what is going on in North America.’
Sodje said the continued presence of the same administrators in office reflects a wider failure of accountability. ‘It is also shameful that those who masterminded this disappointment are still hanging on to their offices,’ he said. ‘They are still there. It shows we are not serious as a people. This cannot happen elsewhere where they value growth, progress and genuinely love football.’
The frustration extends beyond football’s inner circle. Lagos-based fan Akerele Daniel, speaking in a radio interview, said the mood among ordinary Nigerians mirrors that of the former players.
‘It’s a big shame that as an African giant, we are not at the World Cup, and the most unfortunate thing is that those at the NFF are still sitting pretty,’ Daniel said. ‘Our administrators are behaving like politicians, and they have turned to kill-joys. Nigerian fans are frustrated watching the World Cup without the Super Eagles. Something urgent is needed – we can’t continue like this.’