Former Super Eagles captain, John Mikel Obi, has called for a total cleansing of corruption from Nigerian football, warning that the sport cannot progress unless integrity is restored to its administration.
DDM notes that Mikel made the remark while speaking during a media chat on Wednesday, where he expressed deep frustration over the systemic rot that has crippled Nigerian football for years.
According to him, corruption has destroyed merit, hindered the growth of local talent, and discouraged genuine investors from participating in the country’s football ecosystem.
“We must root out corruption from Nigerian football completely,” Mikel declared.
“If we continue to allow people with selfish interests to run the game, we will never move forward,” he added.
The former Chelsea FC midfielder, who remains one of Nigeria’s most decorated footballers, emphasized that accountability, transparency, and professionalism must form the foundation of Nigeria’s sports governance going forward.
He lamented that talented players are often overlooked because they lack connections or financial influence, a problem he said has stifled the development of grassroots football.
“Nigerian football is full of politics and favouritism,” Mikel said.
“Many good players are left out because they don’t know the right people or cannot pay their way into teams. That must stop,” he added.
Mikel also highlighted the urgent need for reforms within the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), stressing that leadership positions should be occupied by individuals with proven integrity and technical competence.
“The NFF should not be a retirement home for politicians or people chasing personal benefits,” he warned.
“We need real football administrators who love the game and understand how to grow it,” Mikel noted.
He urged the Federal Government to play a stronger oversight role to ensure that public funds allocated to sports development are properly utilized, especially at the grassroots level where the next generation of stars are nurtured.
Mikel, who captained Nigeria to victory at the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), said the country still possesses world-class talent but lacks a functional system that rewards hard work and merit.
He added that Nigeria’s inability to qualify for recent global tournaments like the FIFA World Cup and Olympics reflects deeper institutional problems rather than lack of talent.
“Our boys can compete with the best in the world,” he said.
“But until we fix the corruption and mismanagement in our football system, we will keep failing as a nation in sports,” Mikel concluded.
Football analysts who spoke to DDM agreed with Mikel’s position, describing his comments as a wake-up call to sports authorities to confront corruption head-on and rebuild Nigeria’s image in global football.
They urged the government and football stakeholders to act swiftly, saying Mikel’s remarks reflect the frustration of millions of Nigerian fans who want to see transparency and genuine progress in the country’s football administration.
