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Super Eagles Would Have Qualified For 2026 World Cup If I Were Still NFF President — Amaju Pinnick Says

Amaju Pinnick, a former Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) president, has asserted that, had he still been leading Nigerian football, he would have secured the Super Eagles’ qualification for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

Pinnick made the remarks during an interview on Sunday Oliseh’s Global Football Insights show, expressing disappointment that Nigeria failed to take advantage of the expanded World Cup format, which allows up to ten African nations to qualify for the tournament hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico.

“I honestly didn’t see this coming,” Pinnick said. “With ten African teams qualifying, there is really no basis for Nigeria not to be among them.”

He recalled Nigeria’s successful qualification for the 2018 World Cup, despite being drawn in what was considered one of the toughest groups in African qualifying history.

“In 2018, we had the toughest group ever; we had all the AFCON winners. If I were there, definitely, Nigeria would have qualified,” he said.

“Algeria hadn’t lost in over 20 games, Cameroon were defending champions, Zambia were champions, and Nigeria was the least considered. But guess what? We qualified with two games to spare, and we didn’t sleep.”

Pinnick also referenced the 2022 World Cup qualifiers, where Nigeria narrowly missed out following a playoff defeat to Ghana under the away-goals rule.

“We did the same work in 2022, but the format changed to head-to-head. Nobody gave Ghana a chance, but they came through. We didn’t lose that tie; we were eliminated on away goals.”

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Super Eagles: ‘Eric Chelle Is Not Going Anywhere’ – NSC Director General Confirms

Director-General of Nigeria’s National Sports Commission (NSC), Bukola Olopade, has dismissed any possibility of Super Eagles coach Eric Chelle leaving his position or Nigeria, despite interest from Tunisia, Gabon, and Angola.

Chelle has attracted interest from the aforementioned countries after guiding Nigeria to win Bronze at the 2025 AFCON in Morocco.

The Malian has less than a year remaining on his contract with the Nigeria Football Federation.

However, Olopade has now insisted that Chelle is not leaving Nigeria because the countries interested in him don’t have top players that will make his job easy.

“Eric Chelle is not going anywhere. The countries claiming interest in him don’t have the kind of superstars that make his job easier.

“We must not forget that Eric thrived because he had the right equipment and instruments—the quality personnel he used to execute his ideas.

“I had dinner with him two days ago at my house in Abuja. I’m not the NFF President, but we operate with a collaborative approach, and Eric Chelle has become both a brother and a friend.

“That same night, I called the NFF president, and hopefully by Tuesday or Wednesday, we’ll all sit down together,” Olopade told Footy-Africa.

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Super Eagles: ‘Don’t Let Him Go’ – Frank Onyeka Begs NFF Over Chelle

Super Eagles midfielder Frank Onyeka has appealed to the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) to retain head coach Eric Chelle.

Onyeka praised Chelle’s character and ability, insisting that many players within the Super Eagles have a strong affection for him.

Chelle’s current contract with the NFF  will expire in January 2027 after he signed a midway in his two-year contract with the federation.

“When Chelle took charge of the Super Eagles, you could see his game plan and tactics,” Onyeka told Oma Akatugba.

“He’s a good and a lovely man, someone you feel comfortable around.

“He is very open-minded and offers everyone the opportunity they deserve.

“A lot of the Super Eagles players love him so much. Don’t let him go.”

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NFF Confirms Eric Chelle Will Remain As Super Eagles Coach After 2025 AFCON

The President of the Nigeria Football Federation, Ibrahim Gusau, has confirmed that Eric Chelle will remain as head coach after Nigeria secured third place at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco.

NFF had set a target of getting to the final and winning the trophy for Chelle, but he fell short of this, losing to Morocco in the semi-final and winning the bronze medal instead.

Speaking after the tournament, Gusau stated that the national team displayed notable progress under Chelle and affirmed that the federation is committed to working with the coach as Nigeria aims to build on the performance.

“The team is close to running on autopilot and will definitely achieve a lot of success under the present technical crew,” Gusau said via NFF, reflecting on Nigeria’s campaign.

“The NFF is proud of the team’s performance and will continue to do its best to encourage, support, and motivate the team as we go forward.

“As the head of a hard-working technical crew, Mr Chelle has done exceedingly well within the one year he has been with us. He has shown enormous capacity, and we will continue to work with him.”

Nigeria finished third at the tournament after defeating Egypt 4-2 on penalties to win the bronze medal, following a goalless draw in regulation time at the Stade Mohamed V in Casablanca on Saturday.

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AFCON: ‘NFF Is A Very Unserious Organization’ – BBNaija Star, Tacha Blows Hot After Super Eagles Loss To Morocco

Former Big Brother Naija housemate Natasha Akide, popularly known as Tacha, has criticized the Nigerian Football Federation (NFF) over the Super Eagles’ defeat to Morocco.

Recall that Super Eagles lost 4-2 on penalties to the hosts in Rabat, effectively ending their dream of a fourth continental title.

In an Instagram post on Thursday, Tacha joined other Nigerians in condemning the selection of two referees from rival countries for Wednesday’s game.

Describing the NFF as a very unserious organisation, the reality TV star said they would have petitioned the Confederation of African Football (CAF) to change the referees.

She wrote, “The @thenff is a very unserious organization. Two referees from rival countries. Ghana and South Africa How?? The moment those referees were announced, the NFF should have petitioned CAF! And even if CAF refuses to change them, the petition alone puts referees on CHECK.

“But Instead, silence. And what did we get? One of the worst officiated games in the history of football. The referee disrupted the rhythm of the match nonstop. Fouls were given that made no sense. Even Moroccan players sometimes looked unsure what the whistle was for. That’s how bad it was.

“This wasn’t “home advantage.” This was shambolic officiating. If the @thenff has any sense, they will petition CAF, demand a review, and question whether that referee should be handling games at this level at all. CAUSE performances like that damage the credibility of African football.”

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AFCON 2025: ‘Sort Out Whatever You Owe Super Eagles’ – Mikel Obi Knocks NFF Over Match Bonus

Mikel Obi, a former Nigeria captain, has cautioned against any distractions in the Super Eagles camp ahead of the Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco.

Mikel said that the team is doing well right now and must continue that way.

This happened after news came out that the Super Eagles players and coaches did not want to go to Marrakech for their quarterfinal match against Algeria because they had not been paid their bonuses yet.

Nigeria is set to face Algeria in the quarter-final of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations on Saturday night.

The team and coaching staff have not been given their bonuses for the four matches they have played so far.

Mikel said that nothing should stop the Super Eagles from winning the tournament.

The ex-Chelsea player told the Super Eagles to remain focused and determined as they get ready for their next match.

He said on the Obi One podcast, “We need to win the next game, and we have to play it the right way because it’s going to be a difficult match against Algeria.

“I’ve seen them[Algeria]play a couple of times. They are a very strong team and collaborate smoothly with each other.

“They are very strong, they have some really good and talented players, so we have to give our best performance. There should be no things that block the way, or make it hard to focus, or have a bad effect. We should be prepared to handle any problems or issues that may arise.

“Are the players being paid their bonuses? Whatever they were promised should be fixed before the game begins. I believe we can make it all the way and win the trophy.”

If Nigeria beats Algeria on Saturday, they will reach the semi-finals of the AFCON for the second time in a row.

Nigeria finished in second place in 2023, which means they lost to the host country, Ivory Coast, in the final match.

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NFF Confirms CBN Processing AFCON 2025 Allowances After Super Eagles Strike Threat

The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has confirmed that the Central Bank of Nigeria has started processing the outstanding allowances owed to Super Eagles players and team officials from the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON).

According to the NFF, the funds are being transferred directly from the CBN to the individual bank accounts of the players and officials, following days of tension within the camp over delayed payments.

The confirmation came amid reports that the Super Eagles had threatened to boycott their AFCON 2025 quarter-final match against Algeria if the issue was not resolved.

Journalist Tobi Adepoju, popularly known as Oganla Media, disclosed the development after speaking with a senior NFF official in Morocco.

“UPDATE FROM MOROCCO: I just spoke with a top NFF official about the potential players’ and officials’ strike,” Adepoju wrote on his official 𝕏 account.

He added that the official said: “The monies have been processed from CBN to individual banks. The players and officials will receive all their bonuses when the process is completed.”

Earlier, BBC journalist Oluwashina Okeleji reported that unpaid allowances had pushed the squad to the brink of industrial action.

“Players and coaching staff of Nigeria are waiting on AFCON 2025 bonus payments. Win bonuses from four matches against Tanzania, Tunisia, Uganda and Mozambique, have yet to be received,” Okeleji wrote.

“The squad remains focused but the players will NOT train or travel to Marrakech on Thursday if this isn’t resolved.

“Three-time #AFCON champions Nigeria have a strange ability to self-sabotage.

“Officials made a promise to the players and coaching staff ahead of the AFCON 2025 tournament.

“After going unbeaten to reach the quarterfinal against Algeria, the squad will NOT train or travel on Thursday.”

On the pitch, the Super Eagles have enjoyed a flawless campaign so far at AFCON 2025. They opened their group with a 2-1 win over Tanzania, followed by a thrilling 3-2 victory against Tunisia and a 3-1 success against Uganda. The run continued with a commanding 4-0 triumph over Mozambique in the round of 16 on Monday.

The coach Eric Chelle’s Super Eagles will face Algeria in the quarter-final showdown on Saturday, January 10, 2026, in Marrakech, with a place in the semi-finals at stake.

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Super Eagles Offered N14 Million Per Goal Against Mozambique

Nigeria’s Super Eagles have been promised a $10,000 bonus (about ₦14 million) for each goal they score in their Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) Round of 16 clash against Mozambique.

According to BSNSports, the incentive, provided by a Nigerian business mogul and team partner, applies to Monday’s knockout fixture at the Fez Stadium in Morocco.

The Super Eagles have been in prolific form, scoring eight goals across their three Group C matches in the tournament’s first round.

The same partner had earlier rewarded the team with $5,000 per goal during the group stage, a bonus structure that has now been doubled for the knockout phase.
Chairman of the National Sports Commission, Mallam Shehu Dikko, confirmed the development while addressing journalists in Rabat.

“We have fully mobilized the Super Eagles to succeed in this tournament,” Dikko said. “On the part of the Federal Government, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu approved the AFCON Intervention Fund on November 14.

“In addition, our partners and sponsors paid $5,000 per goal in the group stage and have now committed $10,000 per goal for the Round of 16. The incentives will continue to improve as the tournament progresses.”

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NFF Clears Air On FIFA’s Response Regarding DR Congo Players’ Eligibility Dispute Against Nigeria

The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has clarified that it is yet to receive a response from FIFA concerning its protest over the eligibility of some Democratic Republic of Congo players who featured in the 2026 World Cup African playoff against the Super Eagles weeks ago.

NFF, however, categorically stated that the situation is still under consideration.

This statement comes in response to media claims that FIFA had dismissed Nigeria’s appeal following the Super Eagles’ defeat to DR Congo in the play-off final.

Speaking on the development, NFF Secretary General, Mohammed Sanusi, confirmed that no official updates have been received from FIFA concerning the petition.

“The Nigeria Football Federation wrote a petition to FIFA on the eligibility of some of the players of DR Congo, and if there is anything, FIFA will reply to the NFF,” Sanusi said during an interview on AIT.

“The NFF has not received any letter from FIFA saying they have thrown away our petition. We have checked our emails, and there was no letter from FIFA.

“I don’t know where they got their information from. If there is any such letter, let them show it, unless they have someone in FIFA giving them information ahead of official communication.”

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It’s Shameless! – Mikel Obi Slams NFF Over Super Eagles’ AFCON 2025 Preparations

Former Super Eagles captain John Obi Mikel has slammed Nigeria’s preparations for AFCON 2025, accusing the Nigeria Football Federation of mismanagement just weeks ahead of the tournament.

Speaking on his ObiOne podcast, Mikel said he was deeply unimpressed by the state of preparations for the finals in Morocco, which kick off on Sunday.

He questioned how a national team coach could still be owed salaries at such a sensitive moment for Nigerian football.

“I’m not impressed at all with the preparation. After everything that happened with the World Cup qualifiers, you would expect things to be better,” said Mikel, who has previously called for the resignation of the NFF board following Nigeria’s failure to qualify for the 2026 World Cup.

“How do you owe a coach money at this stage? It’s shameless! This is not how serious football nations operate. When issues like this are in the public space, it affects everyone, the coach, the players and even the fans.

“This was supposed to be the time to save face and show that lessons were learned. Instead, it’s the same story again. You can’t go into the AFCON with unresolved problems. Everything must be sorted now. Nigeria deserves better. Our football deserves better.”

Reports had claimed that Super Eagles head coach Eric Chelle was owed three months’ salary and bonuses by the NFF ahead of the 2025 AFCON.

However, Naija News reports that the National Sports Commission chairman, Shehu Dikko, revealed on Monday that the commission had stepped in to cover Chelle’s wages, despite not being a party to his contract.

“The NSC have been paying the salaries of Eric Chelle (Super Eagles coach) on behalf of the NFF even though we’re not a party to the contract,” Dikko said on Arise Television. “This is part of our support to the NFF.”

Nigeria will compete in Group C at AFCON 2025 alongside Tunisia, Uganda and Tanzania, with their opening fixture against Tanzania scheduled for December 23 in Fès.

The Super Eagles head into the tournament on the back of a 2-1 defeat to Egypt in their only pre-AFCON friendly, played on Tuesday in Cairo.

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