Former Super Eagles assistant coach Sylvanus Okpala has launched a scathing attack on the Nigeria Football Federation, insisting the country’s 2026 World Cup failure was “self-inflicted” and could have been avoided if the NFF had listened to his warning months ago.
In a stunning revelation, the 2013 AFCON-winning coach disclosed that he had written directly to the football body, volunteering to assist then interim manager Augustine Eguavoen during the qualification run-in — only for his offer to be ignored entirely.
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According to Okpala, his letter received “total silence,” a decision he now describes as a costly mistake that contributed to Nigeria’s exit at the playoff stage.
Okpala argued that the federation showed poor judgement by replacing Eguavoen with Eric Chelle, insisting that continuity and experience were needed at such a delicate point in the campaign.
He maintained that with his tactical expertise and deep familiarity with African football, the Super Eagles would have secured the ticket to North America.
The former midfielder did not mince words when assessing the NFF’s handling of national team affairs, accusing administrators of prioritising politics over competence.
He said Nigeria must stop entrusting crucial decisions to individuals who lack technical understanding, warning that such choices repeatedly set the country back on the global stage.
Okpala also expressed sympathy for the players, who he believes were victims of poor leadership rather than a lack of commitment. He insisted that the squad had enough talent to qualify but were undermined by instability, confusion, and the wrong technical direction at key moments.
With AFCON around the corner, he called on the NFF to avoid another “avoidable disaster” by sticking to clear planning and ensuring the coaching staff is given full authority to run the team properly.
