‘We can’t miss another World Cup’ – Mikel Obi calls for complete overhaul of Nigeria Football Federation

Former Nigeria international John Mikel Obi has called for a complete overhaul of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), insisting drastic changes are needed to revive the country’s football fortunes.

Mikel Obi made the comments after arriving at the Accra International Airport ahead of his scheduled podcast appearance in Ghana, where he is set to host Black Stars captain Andre Ayew as his special guest.

The former Chelsea midfielder believes the NFF leadership must be replaced after Nigeria’s failure to qualify for successive FIFA World Cups.

The Super Eagles missed the 2022 tournament in Qatar and failed to secure qualification for the 2026 edition, extending a difficult period for Nigerian football.

Mikel also pointed to the country’s struggles on the women’s side, with the Super Falcons set to miss the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup for the first time in their history.

He says such setbacks demonstrate the need for a fundamental change in the administration of the game.

“We want all the [NFF] board, they have to go because we want to grow our football. We haven’t qualified for the past two World Cups, which is a shame, and we can’t allow that to happen for the third time.

“So we have to make sure we make changes and we get the right people to run African football, especially Nigerian football as well, so that we can grow and be better.”

Mikel’s comments come as Nigeria continues to assess the direction of its football administration following the latest World Cup disappointment.