Sunday Oliseh Urges Drastic Action Against NFF if Super Eagles Miss Out on 2026 World Cup
- Super Eagles legend Sunday Oliseh has called for the overhauling of the NFF if Nigeria miss out on the 2026 FIFA World Cup
- Nigeria are on the brink of failing to qualify for the tournament with four matches left to go in the CAF qualifying series
- The Super Eagles failed to qualify for the 2022 edition after losing to rivals Black Stars of Ghana during the play-off round
Super Eagles legend Sunday Oliseh has called for drastic measures against the board of the Nigerian Football Federation if Nigeria fail to qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Nigeria failed to qualify for the 2022 FIFA World Cup held in Qatar after losing the playoff round to rivals Ghana following a 1-1 draw at the Moshood Abiola Stadium in Abuja.
Source: Getty Images
The Super Eagles are on the brink of watching another Mundial from home as they sit in a precarious position in the CAF qualifying series.
Nigeria has seven points from six matches, behind Benin Republic and Rwanda, who have eight points each and South Africa, who have 13 points in group C.
According to thenff.com, the Super Eagles will host the Amavubi of Rwanda on matchday seven in Uyo, before facing Bafana Bafana of South Africa at Bloemfontein on matchday eight.
Eric Chelle's team must win both matches to keep their hopes of qualifying alive.
Nigeria still hope to win their remaining four matches, while hoping other results favour them, particularly South Africa’s impending three points deduction.
Oliseh calls for overhauling of NFF
Super Eagles legend Sunday Oliseh believes that the board of the Nigeria Football Federation must be overhauled if the team fail to qualify for the World Cup.
“If Nigeria does not qualify for the next World Cup, and the people running football in Nigeria are still in their positions, then we don’t even deserve to qualify for the next one,” Oliseh told TVC News.
“If, as an administration, you fail to qualify for two consecutive World Cups—which are worth hundreds of millions to a country’s football industry—there is nowhere in the world where such leadership would remain in place.”
Source: Getty Images
The former Super Eagles captain added that failure to qualify for a World Cup sets the country's football back by eight years, and Nigeria being on the verge again could kill the country's football.
“Every four years that you don’t qualify for the World Cup, your football goes back eight years. That is how it works,” he added.
Though he expressed optimism that the Eagles can still qualify, something drastic must be done, not repeating the same process as before and expecting a different result.
Nigerian photojournalist Micolo believes people who are in a position to get into office and make changes should not talk too much.
“In the words of Etim Esin to Taribo West after he criticised the government at Peter Rufai's burial, ‘what stops you from being the NFF president?’” he told Legit.ng.
“It is not enough to criticise all the time and speak about the ills, get into position and be the change you want. Oliseh, with his knowledge and experience, is qualified to be the NFF President, he should contest and sanitise the federation.”
Super Eagles stars arrive in Uyo
Legit.ng reported that Super Eagles stars have begun arriving at the team's camp in Uyo ahead of the match against Amavubi of Rwanda on September 6.
Captain William Troost-Ekong leads the players who have arrived in camp, which includes Bruno Onyemaechi and Singinda Black Stars goalkeeper Amas Obasogie.
Source: Legit.ng
