Former Super Eagles captain John Mikel Obi has condemned the corruption plaguing Nigerian football, insisting that it must be completely eradicated if the game is to move forward. Speaking on his ObiOne podcast in a video on X on Wednesday, the former Chelsea midfielder referenced conversations and images circulating about FIFA’s alleged $1.2 million grant to the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) for stadium projects, questioning how the funds were used.
“I’ve seen so many pictures, so many conversations about FIFA giving $1.2 million to the NFF to build stadiums. Have you seen that? The corruption has to be rooted out of the game,” Mikel said. He urged that discussions on corruption be put aside for now, noting that the immediate focus should be on Nigeria’s upcoming World Cup playoff matches.
“Whatever the NFF have to do to make those players come back, feel comfortable to perform, and give their best for the country, they have to do that right now,” he said. The legend emphasised that the players must be made to feel comfortable and motivated if Nigeria is to avoid the “crime” of missing a second consecutive World Cup.
The former captain maintained that while Nigeria boasts one of the best strikers in the world, Victor Osimhen, the team’s qualification hopes depend on collective effort rather than individual brilliance. “Don’t depend on Victor Osimhen alone. The team, everybody, needs to perform. Find the motivation in you, knowing that this is the biggest game of our lives, the nation’s life. We have to qualify for the World Cup. There are not two ways about it; we have to,” Mikel concluded.
Mikel’s intervention comes in the wake of the Super Eagles’ reported boycott of a training session in Morocco over unpaid bonuses. The player and the NFF have reportedly resolved the issue, and training will commence ahead of the match against Gabon on Thursday, November 13, 2025.
The controversy follows allegations by football critic Chinedu Mobike via his Instagram handle that FIFA gave the NFF “1.2 million dollars for two stadiums” in Kebbi and Ugborodo, Delta State, which allegedly “till today did not see daylight”. The 2023 Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, also condemned the alleged mismanagement of funds released by FIFA to Nigeria’s Football Federation for stadium development and youth sports, describing it as a reflection of the deeper malaise of corruption in the country.
