Mikel joins calls for Ibrahim Gusau's NFF board to step down

Former Super Eagles captain John Obi Mikel has joined growing calls for the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) board to step down, saying Nigerian football needs fresh leadership after a series of disappointing results across the country's national teams.

Mikel has become the latest high-profile Nigerian football figure to demand sweeping changes at the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), insisting the country's football administration must be overhauled after years of disappointing performances.

The former Chelsea midfielder said Nigeria cannot afford to continue on its current path after the Super Eagles failed to qualify for two consecutive FIFA World Cups. At the same time, several other national teams have also missed major international tournaments under the current NFF leadership.

Speaking on the Joy Sports Podcast in Ghana, Mikel said Nigerian football requires a new direction if it is to return to competing at the highest level.

“We want changes in the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) because we want to grow our football,” Mikel said.

The former Super Eagles captain described the country's recent World Cup failures as unacceptable for a football powerhouse like Nigeria.

He added, “We haven't qualified for the past two World Cups, which is a shame. We cannot allow that to happen a third time. We have to ensure we get the right people to run Nigerian football to grow and be better.”

The calls for change have intensified over the past two weeks following disappointing results across multiple Nigerian national teams.

The Super Falcons, Africa's most successful women's national team with 10 WAFCON titles, failed to secure qualification for the 2027 FIFA Women's World Cup.

That disappointment followed earlier qualification failures involving the Super Eagles, Flying Eagles, and other national teams in their respective World Cup campaigns.