Sports
NFF Overhaul Necessary for Nigeria’s Next World Cup Qualification
By Seyi Balogun, Lagos
Nigeria’s inability to qualify for the world cup has been squarely blamed on the country’s football governing body, Nigeria Football Federation, NFF.
The calibre of people constituting the body with their selfish and unpatriotic behaviour are believed to always deny the country of its deserved success during the qualifiers. It is their interests-first posture that runs counter to the country’s which have forced widespread agreement among stakeholders, sporting icons, and the public that the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) is a body of saboteurs that requires an immediate, top-to-bottom structural overhaul.
Reports show that for billions of fans across the globe, the tournament represents the pinnacle of sporting competition — unity, passion, and fair play on the grandest stage.
But unfortunately, even as the World Cup always carries a deeper resonance among Nigerians, the Super Eagles’ inability to secure a spot at the global tournament has diminishing the international marketability of Nigeria’s top talent and stunted the growth of the domestic game, does not bother NFF.
It is believed by stakeholders and sporting icons that until the NFF is overhauled and depoliticised, the country’s immense footballing talent will continue to waste.
Incompetence and sabotage are often widely cited as the root cause of the Super Eagles’ consecutive failures to qualify for the FIFA World Cup. These are , reportedly rooted in pervasive mismanagement, delayed player bonuses, and chaotic terms of coaching appointments all of which devastate the team’s playing momentum.
To Vanguard, “This failure represents something far deeper than poor performance on the pitch. It is the inevitable culmination of years of institutional rot, a systemic collapse engineered by a football federation that has perfected the art of self-sabotage.
“From financial mismanagement and chronic player neglect to the abject decay of youth development structures, Nigerian football has been methodically stripped of its competitive edge by the very federation meant to nurture it.”
To former Nigeria international, Segun Odegbami, who has become the strident, lone voice in the wilderness, the Super Eagles’ failure to qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup is an unacceptable situation for one of Africa’s biggest football nations.
“The government must act,” he insists.
According to him:
“It’s not an Odegbami project, it’s a national call to save our football from the stranglehold of scavengers who have nothing to offer other than what they grab in the process. If people decide to peep from the window, I’ll go all the way,” Odegbami said.
‘Mathematical’, as he was fondly called in his hay days, said World Cup qualification should be considered a minimum expectation for a nation with Nigeria’s football pedigree.
Economically, Nigeria’s absence from the 2026 FIFA World Cup denied the Nigeria Football Federation, NFF, a guaranteed $10.5 million (over N15.5 billion) in direct FIFA prize and preparation funds.
The country also loses crucial sponsorship investments, global player marketability, and local economic revenue from tourism and broadcast subscriptions.
Participating nations in the expanded 48-team tournament are guaranteed at least $10.5 million, which represents up to 87 percent of NFF’s projected annual budget.
These ‘missing’ FIFA funds would have been deployed for grassroots development projects to build sustainable football infrastructure beyond the World Cup cycle.
It’s sad to note that in a country as big as Nigeria, there’s no stadium one can point at as a standard and functional stadium to meet the Confederation of African Football’s, CAF, and FIFA’s standards.
The Godswill Akpabio International Stadium (also known as Nest of Champions) in Uyo is fading away from its beauty and functionality because of over use.
Yet, there are over 30 stadia scattered across the country, but decades of negligence and poor maintenance have left many in unfit for international playing standards.
For instance, despite being the commercial capital, Lagos struggles to host top-tier games because the National Stadium in Surulere is in a state of extreme disrepair, and the Teslim Balogun Stadium requires constant upkeep to maintain certification.
The massive funds from FIFA would have gone a long way in revitalising the stadiums if we had competent and accountable people in charge of football.
Nigeria, is expected to follow Italian government’s reaction after their national team, the Azurris, failed to qualify for the third World Cup.
The government swiftly reacted to the national team’s playoff elimination by demanding a total overhaul of the country’s football federation. Sports Minister, Andrea Abodi, explicitly called for the resignation of Italian Football Federation, FIGC, president, Gabriele Gravina, while lawmakers demanded structural reforms and stricter limits on non-European Union, EU, players to help nurture domestic talent.
Abodi publicly stated that the FIGC President, Gabriele Gravina, should step down. Multiple lawmakers echoed this demand, stating that the leadership needed to be held accountable for the decline of Italian football.
The government of Nigeria can and should do same but despicable is being mute, not even a word from it. No government statement as if to endorse the failure.
The fellows at the Football House rolled their sleeves and tossed gullible Nigerians around with a petition challenging the eligibility of some Congolese players.
FIFA originally rejected the petition, but the NFF determined to toy with the hopes of Nigerians, appealed that decision, seeking to overturn the outcome of their 2026 World Cup playoff.
Yet, government did not respond, thereby heightening fears that the same government might be complicit in the affairs of NFF.
Former Sports Minister, Solomon Dalung said the problems undermining the country’s football development dated back decades and have remained largely unaddressed because of entrenched interests.
He narrated an encounter with an elderly man who told him that “in sports, we work harder for failure than for success.”
He said the man had also told him that tournament budgets were prepared up to the final stage, but noted that administrators benefit more financially when teams exit early because unspent funds are rarely accounted for.
He said this revelation proved true during his time in office, noting that attempts to demand accountability were often misrepresented as “ministerial interference.”
The deafening silence from those with the constitutional authority to checkmate corruption in the beautiful game that relieves pain and suffering of citizens has heightened fears that Nigeria may miss the next FIFA World Cup in 2030 to be jointly hosted in two continents by three countries (Morocco, Spain and Portugal) to celebrate the tournament’s centenary.
Government’s indifference since the Eagles failed to qualify for the World Cup has been interpreted to mean passive enablement, or a lack of accountability. It encourages the misfits in NFF who may lead Nigeria to another failure. They have clearly shown that they have nothing to offfer.
Reactions from governments whose teams even qualified for the World Cup but didn’t shine in the first round, have shown that the silence of Nigerian government over our back-to-back non-qualification is suspicious.
Saudi Arabia’s early FIFA World Cup exit prompted their federation chief to resign.
“The failure of the national team to qualify for the next round of the World Cup is a result that falls short of all our ambitions, and I bear full responsibility for it. I offer my apologies to everyone who hoped to see our team in a better position,” Yasser al-Misehal wrote before throwing in the towel.
“A sense of responsibility requires giving the opportunity to open a new chapter, and I have decided not to continue,” he added.
Saudi Arabia played in their third consecutive World Cup this year. They were among the seven Asian teams who were knocked out in the group stage as only Japan and Australia advanced to the round of 32.
Saudi Arabia has invested nearly $2billion in football over the past three years, luring Cristiano Ronaldo, Neymar and Karim Benzema to the Saudi Pro League, now one of the most lucrative competitions in the world.
The backlash over the team’s performance reached the highest levels and they decided to go for a clean sweep and introduce the spark of creativity in their football administration.
The reaction of Uruguay is equally noteworthy. Uruguayan Football Association, AUF, and government did not hide their anger and dissatisfaction with their team when they cancelled the national team’s scheduled private charter flight back from North America, following their disastrous group-stage elimination from the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Instead, players and staff were left to arrange their own travel individually on commercial flights.
This is a typical government swift, decisive action that shows to whom much is given, much is expected.
In the case of South Korea, following their shock elimination from the group stage of the World Cup, President Lee Jae-myung publicly apologised to the nation and ordered the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism to launch a full-scale government investigation into the Korea Football Association, KFA.
The government’s rapid intervention brought great relief to the people as they try to fashion a way of making progress with fresh and progressive minds.
The country’s leader said he felt “not just confusion but utter bewilderment at the unexpected outcome,” adding that the early exit “appears to be a failure of organisation and personnel.”
The government rebuked the football authorities and took prompt actions. Keeping quiet like the Nigerian government has done could imply consent.
That is why when the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Nyesom Wike, expressed frustration over Nigeria’s absence from the tournament, Nigerian football fans hailed him for speaking out.
He remains the only cabinet minister who has expressed angst over the management of football in the country.
Wike, who spoke at the commissioning of the Gwagwalada-Kuje Road project, where ex-Super Eagles’ captain, Joseph Yobo, was among dignitaries, expressed sadness over Nigeria’s failure to feature at the World Cup.
The minister said that despite Nigeria’s credentials and the number of players of Nigerian heritage featuring at the World Cup, not seeing the Super Eagles play on the biggest stage was hard to accept.
“Yobo, go and tell them. We are not happy,” Wike said.
Nigeria failed to reach a second consecutive World Cup tournament after losing to DR Congo in the African playoff tournament last year.
The Super Eagles, who first featured in the competition in 1994, made the play-offs after losing the direct ticket to South Africa, despite beating neighbours, Benin Republic, 4-0 in the final match of the qualification series.
Legendary Odegbami vowed that he would not let the sleeping dog lie until government comes out of its shell to “chase out those who have long overstayed at the football house and breathe new life to reposition football for the betterment of the game.”
He wants them voted out in the next elections. Like many Nigerians, he is calling for change of the NFF statutes so that those on board now can be legitimately voted out.
Chikelue Iloenyosi, FA Chairman of Anambra State, has urged ex-internationals to go into football politics to be able to have a say in Nigeria’s football governance.
Another ex-international, Austin Popo, concured saying, “This is the time for us to close ranks and save Nigerian football.’’
Stakeholders believe that, for Nigeria to avoid missing a third consecutive FIFA World Cup, the time to act is now. We must move beyond rhetoric and embrace meaningful reforms.
Football administration must be driven by competence, accountability and transparency, rather than politics and personal interests.
Sports
How FG’s Docility and FIFA’s Compromise on Mpasi Conspired Against Nigeria’s 2026 W’Cup Qualifier– Report
The apex world soccer’s governing body, FIFA, knew that the Democratic Republic of Congo fielded an ineligible player in the 2026 World Cup qualifier game played against the Super Eagles of Nigeria, The New York Times has learnt.
The match, which was held in November 2025 in Rabat, Morocco, was the final of the CAF play-offs for a spot in the intercontinental tournament.
DR Congo won 4-3 on penalties after the match ended 1-1.
According to the report published on Tuesday, FIFA’s own legal officials had privately determined that Congo had breached player eligibility rules after goalkeeper Lionel Mpasi failed to complete the required documentation to switch his international affiliation from France, where he had represented youth teams.
Despite the finding, FIFA allowed Mpasi to continue playing, and Congo went on to defeat Jamaica in March to secure its first World Cup appearance in 52 years.
The development has raised fresh questions over FIFA’s handling of Nigeria’s complaint against Congo, which came after the Central African side defeated the Super Eagles on penalties in the African play-off final in November 2025.
The defeat condemned Nigeria to a second consecutive World Cup miss, after also missing out on the 2022 edition in Qatar.
In December 2025, the Nigeria Football Federation lodged a complaint with FIFA alleging that Congo had fielded players who were not properly eligible to represent the country.
The NFF’s complaint questioned the clearance of several foreign-born players, including Mpasi, and alleged that the Congolese federation had misled FIFA in securing their eligibility.
Documents and correspondence reviewed by The New York Times, alongside information from a senior official directly involved in the case, showed that FIFA officials had considered several possible sanctions against Congo, including awarding the match to Nigeria, imposing fines, replacing Congo with Nigeria in the play-off against Jamaica or taking no action on the grounds that Nigeria had filed its complaint late.
Under FIFA rules, fielding an ineligible player can result in a team forfeiting the match in which the player featured, as FIFA had previously taken a more decisive position in similar cases.
In 2016, FIFA sanctioned Greece after it fielded an ineligible player who had previously represented Australia at youth level, awarding a 3-0 defeat in its match against Turkey. Two years later, the governing body changed the results of two Bolivia World Cup qualifying matches after determining that Bolivia had fielded a player who had previously represented Paraguay.
At the time FIFA was reviewing the Congo eligibility case, Véron Mosengo-Omba, an ally of Infantino, was preparing to contest for the presidency of the Congolese football federation.
Two months later, following Congo’s qualification for the World Cup, Mosengo-Omba emerged as the sole candidate and was elected president after eight other contenders had either withdrawn or been disqualified following changes to eligibility rules.
Cameroonian former FIFA official Prince Zelkifli Rahman Ngoufonja, popularly known as Prince Zul, said the relationship between Infantino and Mosengo-Omba raised questions over the potential consequences of FIFA removing Congo from the World Cup.
“If FIFA removed Congo from the World Cup,” he said, Infantino’s ally’s prospects “could have been damaged.”
Mosengo-Omba, however, said he was unaware of FIFA’s findings regarding Mpasi’s eligibility.
The Punch
By Felix Umande
Emotions ran high at the Estadio Monumental on Tuesday night as Lionel Messi signed off from international football the only way he knows how — with a goal, two assists and a stadium in tears.
In his 208th and final game for Argentina, the 39-year-old led La Albiceleste to a 3-0 friendly win over Benin in what was billed as “The Last Tango” — a farewell in front of 85,000 adoring fans.
It was a script written for the GOAT.
After a goalless first half, Messi delivered two moments of magic. In the 48th minute, his corner found fellow retiree Nicolas Otamendi, 38, who fired home the opener. In the 61st minute, he set up 22-year-old Nico Paz — touted as one of his heirs — from the edge of the box.
Then came the finale. In the 71st minute, after Agustin Giay was fouled in the box, Messi stepped up and emphatically dispatched a penalty into the roof of the net for his 126th and final international goal, sparking a deafening chant of “Messi, Messi.”
The Inter Miami forward, who wore a special kit for the occasion, leaves as Argentina’s all-time record appearance maker and top scorer with 126 goals and 69 assists in 208 caps over 21 years.
His glittering international career includes the 2008 Olympic gold, Copa América titles in 2021 and 2024, the 2022 Finalissima, and the ultimate prize — the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, where he also won the Golden Ball. He was a World Cup finalist in 2014 and again this summer, when Argentina lost 1-0 to Spain in New Jersey.
The night was pure theatre. Messi arrived in tears as the team bus crawled through crowds to the stadium, took to the pitch holding hands with his three children, and wept again during the national anthem sung by Falklands War veteran Fabio Santana. His wife Antonela Roccuzzo and mother Celia Cuccittini watched from a VIP box, while a giant Argentina jersey with “Gracias” and No.10 was unfurled on the pitch.
After the final whistle, the sky above the Monumental lit up with a drone show reliving his career — ending with the iconic image of him lifting the World Cup.
An emotional Messi told fans: “It was a huge source of pride for me to defend this jersey for more than 20 years. Not coming anymore is going to be deeply painful. I swear I’d like to play for the rest of my life, because playing for the Argentina national team is the most beautiful thing that can happen to you.”
Messi announced his international retirement on August 31, citing the gruelling 2026 World Cup campaign and the illness and subsequent death of his father Jorge as factors. He remains under contract with Inter Miami until 2028.
As he said himself on Tuesday: “Now I’m here on the saddest day of my career, which is the day I have to say goodbye to the national team. But now I’ll be on that side, with the fans, supporting all the boys. Always united.”
By Seyi Balogun, Lagos
Big Brother Naija winner, Ijeoma Otabor, aka Phyna, has celebrated the fourth anniversary of her reality TV success with another victory, making history as the winner of Nigeria’s first female celebrity boxing bout.
Phyna won the seventh season of Big Brother Naija,
Level Up, on October 2, 2022. Four years later, the reality star marked the anniversary with a boxing victory over Nollywood actress Nkechi Blessing by knockout.
Reflecting on the two milestones in a post shared on Friday, Phyna wrote:
“October 2nd will forever be a special date in my life.
“Today marks the anniversary of the day I won BBN, and now, years later, I’m celebrating another historic victory becoming the first female boxer to step into this ring and win this fight. ”
The victory came during Balmoral Promotions’ Chaos in the Ring event at the Federal Palace Hotel, Victoria Island, Lagos, on Thursday.
The former reality star sees her transition from reality television to boxing as part of her determination to challenge herself and break barriers. She wrote:
“From reality TV to the boxing ring, I’ve always been willing to challenge myself, break barriers, and prove that there is so much more to Phyna than what people see.
“This one is for every woman who has ever been told she couldn’t. We can. We will. And we absolutely should.”
Phyna thanked Balmoral Promotions and Bet9ja for the opportunity, describing October 2 as “a date of victory, courage and new beginnings.”
She also received ₦50m as the winner of the historic bout and said she intends to pursue professional boxing, suggesting her victory over Nkechi could mark the start of a longer career in the sport.
Following the fight, Phyna named Nollywood actress Etinosa Idemudia as her next potential opponent, accusing her of disturbing her through direct messages.
“I came in, and I kept my cool and did the thing. Now I would like to fight Etinosa. I think it is time I teach her a lesson,” Phyna said after the bout.
Etinosa, who watched the fight from ringside, accepted the challenge, saying, “I have been advising you to carry the Edo name with pride. We do not run from any fight. I accept the challenge fully.”
Phyna’s victory came on the same night skit maker Carter Efe defeated musician Speed Darlington by technical knockout in their four-round celebrity bout.
How FG’s Docility and FIFA’s Compromise on Mpasi Conspired Against Nigeria’s 2026 W’Cup Qualifier– Report
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