Former Super Eagles captain John Obi Mikel has joined the growing list of high-profile Nigerians demanding the resignation of the Nigeria Football Federation board, insisting that those running the country’s football must make way if the sport is to recover from its current crisis.
Mikel’s call comes amid mounting pressure on the Ibrahim Gusau-led NFF board following Nigeria’s failure to qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, the second consecutive edition of the tournament the Super Eagles have missed.
The situation has been further compounded by the Super Falcons’ failure to qualify for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup, while concerns have also been raised over the performances and management of Nigeria’s other national teams.
Speaking on the situation, Mikel said Nigerian football urgently needs a change in leadership and warned that the country cannot continue on the same path and expect different results.
“We want changes in the Nigeria Football Federation because we want to grow our football,” Mikel said.
“We haven’t qualified for the past two World Cups, which is a shame. We cannot allow that to happen a third time.”
The former Chelsea midfielder believes responsibility must be placed on those overseeing the game and called for new people with the right ideas and vision to take charge.
“We have to ensure we get the right people to run Nigerian football to grow and be better,” he added.
Mikel’s latest comments are not an isolated criticism of the NFF. The former Super Eagles captain previously revealed that he had rejected approaches to become involved in Nigerian football administration because he did not believe he could work effectively with the existing administrators.
He said at the time that the people running Nigerian football did not share his vision for developing the game and questioned how officials could remain in positions for years without producing the progress Nigerians expect.
The pressure on the NFF board has grown considerably in recent weeks, with former internationals, football administrators and other stakeholders calling for an overhaul of the federation.
Vanguard reported that the campaign against the current board has intensified as Nigeria prepares for another NFF electoral cycle, with stakeholders demanding fresh leadership and reforms to the system.
The Super Eagles’ World Cup failure has been one of the biggest triggers for the anger.
Nigeria missed Qatar 2022 and then failed again to reach the 2026 tournament, a development Mikel described as unacceptable for a country with Nigeria’s football history and resources.
“We haven’t qualified for the past two World Cups, which is a shame,” Mikel said.
“We cannot allow that to happen a third time.”
The former captain’s criticism also comes as the NFF faces questions over the wider state of the national teams. The Super Falcons recently failed to secure qualification for the 2027 Women’s World Cup, adding another major disappointment to a difficult period for Nigerian football.
Mikel believes the answer cannot simply be another change of coach or another adjustment involving the players.
For him, the problem requires a change at the administrative level.
“Those responsible need to leave. We cannot keep missing World Cups and expect nothing to change,” Mikel said in comments reported earlier this month.
His demand comes as the future of the Gusau-led administration becomes one of the biggest talking points in Nigerian football.
While reports have circulated that the Federal Government wants the board to resign and make way for a restructuring of football administration, NFF board member Nse Essien has rejected such claims, describing reports of an official resignation directive as “fake news.”
But with pressure from former internationals and other football stakeholders continuing to build, Mikel has made his position unmistakably clear.
For the former Super Eagles skipper, Nigeria cannot afford another World Cup failure — and he believes the first step towards avoiding one is to change the people responsible for running the game.
