Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has publicly called out the Super Eagles over their failure to qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, delivering his frustration through an unlikely messenger: former national team captain Joseph Yobo. Wike made the comments on Wednesday during the commissioning of the Gwagwalada-Kuje Road project in Abuja, where Yobo was among the dignitaries present.
Wike voices disappointment with Super Eagles
After congratulating Yobo for his contributions to Nigerian football, the minister turned his attention to the current squad. "Yes, we have congratulated one of our stars, Joseph Yobo. But let me use this medium through you to tell the Super Eagles: we are not happy," Wike said.
He didn't stop there. "If nobody else will tell you that, because I saw people clapping for you the moment they saw the Super Eagles, I said, 'I won't clap.' I won't clap because I watch the World Cup. I see countries I have never heard of before qualifying to play in the World Cup, and I am sitting down for hours watching countries that are completely unknown," he said.
Wike cites Nigeria's football talent
Wike pointed to Nigeria's depth of football talent as the source of his frustration, noting that the country has no fewer than 13 players competing in top leagues around the world, yet still failed to qualify. He capped it off with a direct instruction: "Yobo, go and tell them."
Super Eagles miss second consecutive World Cup
The Super Eagles' absence from the 2026 World Cup, being co-hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico, follows a penalty shootout defeat to DR Congo in the final round of the African play-offs, marking the second consecutive World Cup the country has failed to reach.
Yobo's past plea for patience
Yobo, for his part, has spent much of the past year trying to keep Nigerian football's spirits up rather than tearing it down. At a charity event last year, he urged patience, noting that "we don't have time to play beautiful football right now. It's about winning, even if it's a scrappy 1-0," and warned that excessive criticism could hurt team morale.
Nigeria Football Federation shifts focus to 2030
For now, the Nigeria Football Federation says it has renewed coach Éric Chelle's contract with fresh performance targets, with attention already shifting toward the 2030 World Cup. Wike's intervention adds a political voice to a frustration that has been building among Nigerian fans for months and ensures that, whatever happens next, the Super Eagles know exactly how at least one minister feels about it.
