Report compiled by Tayo Salaam, Snr. Correspondent, United Kingdom
Introduction
Africa’s most populous nation Nigeria will miss back-to-back World Cups after failing to qualify at the second attempt for the 2026 tournament in USA, Canada and Mexico, with Egypt, Senegal, South Africa, Ghana, Cape Verde, Morocco, Cote D’ivoire, Algeria and Tunisia qualified to represent the continent in North America. Except for South Africa and Tunisia, all the countries listed above are in the top 10 of the most valuable African National Teams according to reputable stats and data website, transfermarkt.com. Nigeria (3rd most valuable) and Cameroon (5th most valuable) are the giants who have fallen by the wayside while Democratic Republic of Congo (9th most valuable) are still on track after clipping the wings of the Eagles in Rabat, Morocco.
So why has a National Team with a market value of 295.25million Euros failed to qualify for the biggest World Cup in history despite having a second bite at the cherry? A survey of Nigerians living in the United Kingdom was conducted to capture public perception about the causes of the failure, responsibility attribution, and expectations for future reforms. The findings reveal a clear and consistent narrative.
Who is to blame for Eagles’ failure?
On whom has the biggest blame for the Eagles failure, the survey results show a decisive verdict from respondents with 72% identifying the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) as the entity most responsible for the failure, while 16% blamed the players. The National Sports commission (8%) and coaches (4%) received the remainder of the votes.
This dominant assessment of responsibility to the NFF correlates strongly with responses throughout the survey. It suggests that Nigerians in the UK perceive the failure not as an athletic or tactical shortcoming but as a symptom of deeper institutional problem. The data points toward a predominantbelief that the leadership and governance of Nigerian football are the primary barriers to success.
What is the biggest contributing factor to Eagles failure?
Respondents were next asked to identify the biggest contributing factor to the qualification failure, and the results reinforce the same narrative in the prior section.
Poor administration and governance emerged as the top factoras selected by 64% of respondents. This is followed by 12% choosing a lack of discipline among players while 8% chose over dependence on certain players. Another 8% selected tactical inconsistency with the same number was attributed topoor coaching decisions.
This pattern shows a strong link between the blame placed on the NFF and the underlying cause perceived by fans. Unlikewhen playing personnel issues dominated discussions, this group perceives a predominantly structural problem.
Consequences and Accountability
Next the respondents were asked whether the group most responsible for the Eagles failure should face consequences? The results here reveals a clear appetite for accountability. 68% believe the responsible group should face consequences, 20% say otherwise while 12% are unsure.
When specifying which consequences are appropriate, 40.91% chose resignation, followed by 45.45% who prefer structural reforms. However, 76% of respondents explicitly want the NFF leadership to resign while 24% are unsure.
The alignment between perceived cause, responsibility, and desired consequence is instructive. Fans not only believe the NFF is responsible, they also overwhelmingly support leadership changes as a necessary corrective measure. This combination of strong blame attribution and calls for resignation shows a loss of confidence in the current administration led by Ibrahim Musa Gusau and a belief that meaningful future progress will require new leadership.
Priorities for Future Improvement
When asked about priorities to prevent future qualification failures, the top responses further support the underlying theme. Administrative reform in the NFF (64%) is considered the most urgent need. Improved scouting and player development (20%) emerges as the second-most important while better coaching staff (16%) is seen as less critical.
The focus on governance reform corroborates earlier responses, indicating that Nigerians in the UK see administrative restructuring as the foundational step before tactical or technical improvements can be meaningfully implemented.
Conclusion
The survey findings show a compelling and consistentnarrative which shows that UK-based Nigerian fans overwhelmingly believe that the Super Eagles’ failure to qualify for the 2026 World Cup stems from systemic administrative deficiencies within the NFF more than any other factors. The strong calls for leadership resignation, structural reform, and a redesigned administrative framework underscore the sentiment that Nigerian football requires fundamental institutional change to avoid future failures.
As at the publishing of this report, there has been no resignation, but the Federation has somewhat taken responsibility for the monumental failure and I quote, ‘’Sunday’s loss to DR Congo in the Africa Play-off Final in Rabat remains a moment of profound sadness for Nigerian football, Football in Nigeria is more than a game. It is a national language. A bridge across cultures, a source of pride and emotional identity. A powerful symbol of unity that binds over 200 million people as one family. We owe it to this nation to honour that bond with sincerity, accountability, and action’’. Sounds good? Yes, but don’t blame Nigerians for taking their apology with a pinch of salt because they have heard it all before just like after the country failed to qualify for the Qatar 2022 FIFA World Cup. Indeed, time will tell if any lessons have been learned from the latest in a long list of debacles.
Editor’s note: Results of this survey of 100 UK-based Nigerians reflect this group’s views and should not be generalized without caution to all Nigerian fans or domestic stakeholders.
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