The Guild of Sports Editors has delivered a stern ultimatum to the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), asserting that the board members must be prepared to step down if they fail to guide the Super Eagles to the 2026 World Cup finals in the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
In a communiqué signed by its president, Mr. Tony Ubani, the Guild, which comprises sports department managers from major media organizations, expressed deep concern over the Super Eagles’ poor performance in the ongoing World Cup qualifying series.
They highlighted Nigeria’s fifth position in a group that includes Lesotho, Rwanda, Benin Republic, Zimbabwe, and South Africa as unacceptable.
Following a meeting, the Guild emphasized that although the situation in Group C appears dire after four games, Nigeria still has a chance to qualify for the World Cup if the NFF addresses its internal issues promptly.
The Guild said, “We are shocked by the manner Nigeria’s bid to return to the World Cup after missing the 2022 edition is being mismanaged by the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) through wrong and belated decisions and inability to set the rules for the national team.
“The NFF waited until just a month to the resumption of the qualifiers before naming a coach through a process flawed by many stakeholders because it did not follow due process.
“They kept quiet when some of the members of the new technical crew rejected their appointments; they have not shown leadership even when some of the players rejected invitation to the national team.
“Now is not the time to apportion blames, but the NFF must know that Nigerians cannot tolerate failure to qualify for the World Cup, especially now that Africa’s slot has been increased to nine countries.”
The Guild urged a complete overhaul of the NFF’s technical department, insisting it be staffed exclusively by football experts with sound technical knowledge.
“The technical department is supposed to be the engine room of the federation, which should direct what happens at the national teams. It is not a place for politically-correct individuals who know little or nothing about the game.”
The editors lamented Nigeria’s poor performance, securing only three out of 12 points after four matches, placing them in fifth position in Group C. They asserted that this poor form could have been avoided with proper management.
To improve the situation, the Guild urged the NFF to seek more corporate support for the Super Eagles, suggesting that the federation expand its efforts to generate the necessary resources for the remaining qualifying matches.
“The NFF must change its priority and take the national teams as the first among its responsibilities. The practice of packing the country’s delegation to matches with states’ FA chairmen and nebulous stakeholders, who add nothing to the Super Eagles, must be stopped. Monies saved from estacodes that are paid to these ‘stakeholders’ should be used to address issues in the national team, including remuneration for assistant coaches,” it added.
The Guild also called on the NFF to review its player selection process for the national team, noting that many of the current Super Eagles players do not deserve their spots.
“Some of the players are no longer relevant in the Super Eagles; their cycle is done. The entire Super Eagles system needs an overhaul and those officials, who have nothing more to add to the team, should go.
“The NFF should also investigate the players’ attitude to these qualifiers to find out if their output is a form of protest. We say this because some players can do anything to sack the coach if they don’t like him.
“So going forward, the NFF must ensure that only players willing to serve the country are invited to the national teams. It is embarrassing to see players pulling out of national assignments. It suggests that the NFF did not do its homework before inviting such players to camp.
“The NFF must also ensure that going forward players do not stroll into camp two days before any match. There must be a timeline for players to join the camp and appropriate sanction for anybody that flouts that timeline.”
Regarding the technical crew, the editors criticized Coach Finidi George for failing to inspire his players to perform at their best. They also recommended reinstating Skipper William Troost-Ekong, who was excluded from the last two games, to provide leadership to the squad.
