Former Super Eagles captain, John Obi Mikel, has blamed the Nigeria Football Federation, NFF, for the team’s failure to qualify for the 2026 World Cup.

The three-time African champions have now missed out on two consecutive World Cups for the first time since 1994.

Nigeria reached the playoffs but ultimately lost to DR Congo in the final on Sunday.

Mikel Obi, who featured at the 2014 and 2018 World Cups, has described the Eagles’ absence from next year’s tournament as a failure and a disappointment.

“It’s a failure, that’s what it is. It was just a disappointment,” he said on the Obi One Podcast.

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He added: “We won against Gabon, but couldn’t defeat Congo. It’s all just negative, and that’s my frustration with the NFF. They’re not the right people to motivate these players.”