Chukwuma Blasts NFF Board over Nigeria’s 2026 World Cup Mishap

The proprietor of Gabros International FC, Gabriel Chukwuma, has berated the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) saying the incompetence of the men at the Sunday Dankaro Secretariat of the Football House caused the Super Eagles to be out of contention for a place in the 2026 World Cup holding in the United States, Canada and Mexico.

The Super Eagles have continued to huff and puff in the World Cup Group C qualifying campaign prompting an outlash from Chukwuma, incidentally a former Vice Chairman of the NFF.

He blasted the current  NFF board for ignoring entreaties to hire a world-class coach and for also misleading President Bola Tinubu and football loving Nigerians into believing that the World Cup ticket was within their reach.

He charged the federal government to cease wasting further money on the World Cup and urged the NFF board to honourably throw in the towel or allow another person to take over.

“I said it that time that if they needed results, they should do the right thing by getting a world-class coach. But because they wanted to share money with unqualified coaches, they ignored me and today, your guess is  as good as mine.

“They were making Nigerians believe they had the magic wand with which to grab the World Cup ticket without knowing that they had nothing to offer. Now, they are giving Nigerians the impression that all hope is not lost, hoping that the Super Eagles will qualify for the play-off. Anybody thinking that a play-off is possible is further deceiving Nigerians, because they don’t have what it takes to be at the World Cup,” Chukwuma said.

He blasted the NFF board headed by Ibrahim Gusau of failing to maximise the potential in the Super Eagles who were playing individual football and finding it difficult to score goals despite having former African Footballer of the Year, Victor Osimhen and reigning one, Ademola Lookman in the squad.

He scorned Eric Chelle’s claim that injury to key players scuttled his game plan against South Africa in Bloemfontein last Tuesday, insisting the Franco- Malian was an average coach. 

Chukwuma lambasted the NFF board of not only mismanaging the Super Eagles but for also failing to bring out the best in the U-17, U-20, U-23 and the  home-based Eagles.

He said: “Tomorrow Gusau will claim he won WAFCON. What is WAFCON? The trophy we won 10 times because of the commitment and hard work of the ladies? If the proper thing were to be done, we must remove sentiments and call a spade a spade.

“Anybody who is defeated must have something to hold on for his defeat. I will not accept any reason because Nigeria had more than one year to prepare for the 2026 World Cup. I told them earlier, not to spend money on unqualified coaches, but they refused. The day Tinubu will find out that he was being deceived, that day they will be surprised.”

COURTESY: thisday