Former Sports Minister Solomon Dalung has issued one of the strongest reactions yet to Nigeria’s latest World Cup disaster, demanding a full-scale investigation into how funds allocated for the national team were spent.
Nigeria’s elimination from contention for the 2026 FIFA World Cup sparked outrage across the country, but Dalung warned that anger alone won’t fix anything unless the government finally confronts the deep-rooted issues crippling Nigerian football.
Read Also: Osahon Blasts NFF: ‘Fix the Structure! Agents Can’t Keep Running Nigerian Football!’
Speaking in an interview, Dalung insisted that the failure to qualify for a second consecutive Mundial cannot simply be blamed on players or coaches.
Instead, he said the federal government must “ask hard questions and demand accountability” from the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) and all bodies involved in the national team’s operations.
According to the outspoken former minister, millions in public funds were released to support Nigeria’s World Cup qualification campaign — and the government has a responsibility to ensure those resources were properly used.
“This matter cannot be swept under the carpet. The government must know how the funds were spent, who spent them, and whether the money actually reached the team,” he warned.
Dalung dismissed suggestions that such scrutiny would amount to “interference,” noting that FIFA regulations do not protect corruption, waste, or secrecy. “Government cannot be bullied with the word ‘interference’. Accountability is not interference — it is responsibility,” he declared.
He added that Nigeria’s football collapse did not begin with the playoff defeat that sealed the nation’s fate. Instead, he argued, it has been years in the making, fuelled by poor planning, mismanagement, and administrative instability. Dalung said unless bold reforms are carried out, Nigeria risks sinking even further.
The former minister urged the government to seize this moment as a turning point for Nigerian sports. “This failure must force us onto a new path. If not now, then when?” he asked.
Dalung’s message was unmistakable:
Nigeria cannot continue pouring money into football without asking where it goes — or why it keeps producing heartbreak.
