FIFA WORLD CUP 2026: ‎Nigeria's Pathetic World Cup Story ‎(PART TWO) ‎ ‎Dire Consequences of snubbig Oliseh's Wake-up call News

Navigation: Home / News / Columnists / FIFA WORLD CUP 2026: ‎Nigeria's Pathetic World Cup Story ‎(PART TWO) ‎ ‎Dire Consequences of snubbig Oliseh's Wake-up call

FIFA WORLD CUP 2026: ‎Nigeria's Pathetic World Cup Story ‎(PART TWO) ‎ ‎Dire Consequences of snubbig Oliseh's Wake-up call

By Obiako Chris Okechukwu on June 4, 2026

When, in other climes, prominent football elements like ex-Super Eagles captain, Sunday Oliseh, raise damning allegations against FA board members, especially before qualifiers for a crucial championship as important as the FIFA World Cup Finals, the entire country erupts. The media, stakeholders, players and fans will rise to the occasion.

They'll COLLECTIVELY dig deep, investigate such allegations, and ask prominent and poignant questions.

They won't wait until the qualifiers have come and gone (and ticket lost) to commence the backlash.

SUPER EAGLES PLAYERS SAW THE HAND-WRITING ON THE WALL...ACTED SWIFTLY

That the Wilfred Ndidi-led Super Eagles players came under heavy criticism from some Nigerians for staging a walk-out (over match bonuses and allowances) during the CAF World Cup play-offs in Morocco, is no longer news.

While desirous of appearing at the mouth-watering Mundial - with the massive benefits accruing therefrom - the players made a bold statement: The days of 'monkey dey work baboon dey chop' are over. Quite conscious of the NFF officials' dishonesty and inconsistency, the players held their ground until EVERY dime they were owing was paid.

Why football stakeholders sat on the wall until calamity struck has not stopped bothering me.

COUNTING OUR LOSSES FOR A BOTCHED FIFA WORLD CUP APPEARANCE

From Ghana to Cape Verde, Curacao to Jordan, Egypt to Uzbekistan, South Korea to Mexico, the FIFA World Cup fanfare is sweeping across the globe like wild fire.

As millions of fans are putting finishing touches to their travel plans, sponsors are warming up for multi billion dollars patronage. Hotels, travel agents, airlines, vendors, taxi drivers, transport companies, shopping malls...name them...everyone is poised for a 'showdown' unprecedented.

This (2026) edition is like no other. THREE amazing countries - USA, Canada and Mexico - are gearing up to welcome fans from 48 countries, as well as spectators from more than 200 countries of the world. You're talking about more than 2 billion people from across the globe getting involved one way or the other. But in Nigeria, we're gnashing our teeth, biting our fingers, and counting our losses.

As a Nigerian journalist, can you work into any corporate organization like Coca Cola, and submit a proposal for sponsorship of the World Cup Finals? First question they're going to ask you is, "What are you going there to do when Nigeria didn't qualify?"

As a Nigerian travel agent, will you place an advert for a promo on ticket sales?

As a Nigerian airline operator, can you flaunt your services to the World Cup Finals venues?

I can go on and on.

Simply put, the losses accruing from Nigeria's non appearance in this year's FIFA World Cup Finals are unquantifiable.

They cannot be measured in pounds and dollars.

WHAT TO DO TO FORESTALL CALAMITY IN THE 2030 FIFA WORLD CUP QUALIFIERS

The players have played their part. They gave their ALL. If you point accusing fingers at them from now till next year, you're TOTALLY on your own.

The ball is now in the courts of football stakeholders - administrators, sponsors, media, supporters' clubs, fans - name them.

As the September elections draw close, Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) officials, instead of hiding their faces in shame, they're perambulating the nooks and crannies of Nigeria, telling us that they're sacrosanct; that they're the next thing to the air we breath. We have to RESIST them with all the blood in our veins.

We have to organize ourselves IMMEDIATELY and SWIFTLY and rise against Gusau and his cohorts.

They MUST be held accountable for denying more than 200 million Nigerians the ecstacy that comes with the world's number one sporting event - FIFA World Cup Finals. They MUST be thrown out in the next NFF elections.

The time to put our ACTS together is NOW!

Source DailySports Nigeria

Posted June 4, 2026