Mikel Obi Demands Full NFF Board Shakeup After Nigeria's Second Straight World Cup Miss

John Mikel Obi has called for the entire Nigeria Football Federation board to be replaced, describing the Super Eagles' failure to qualify for the 2026 World Cup as a "hammer blow" for the country.

Speaking on the Obi One Podcast, the former Chelsea midfielder said Nigeria's back-to-back World Cup misses point to something deeper than bad luck in qualifying.

"I feel for the people of my country. I feel for my people in Nigeria because they are going to be devastated right now," Mikel said. "I just feel the entire board of the NFF needs to go. Twice in a row we have failed to qualify. It means something is wrong. A drastic change has to be carried out."

Mikel, who played for Nigeria at the 2014 and 2018 World Cups, has pushed for federation reform before. He argued the country's standing in African football makes the current run of misses harder to accept.

"We are the biggest footballing nation in Africa, and failing to qualify is an indication that something is wrong. That requires drastic action," he said.

This World Cup marks the second consecutive edition Nigeria will watch from outside, after also missing 2022. Since their debut in 1994, the three-time African champions had gone missing only once before this stretch, at the 2006 finals in Germany. National Daily, which first reported Mikel's comments, notes the federation also stands to lose out financially, with Nigeria's absence costing the country an estimated $12.5 million in participation fees alone, plus whatever further prize money a deep run could have brought.