Former Nigeria Football Federation NFF President Amaju Pinnick says the Super Eagles’ failure to qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup was influenced by the revised African qualification format, arguing that Nigeria would likely have qualified under the structure used for the 2018 World Cup.
Speaking at the Big Sport Dialogue, Pinnick responded to criticism from Abayomi Ogunjimi, President of the Authentic Nigeria Football and Allied Sports Supporters Club, who questioned what benefits Nigeria gained from Pinnick’s high-profile roles in CAF and FIFA.
Pinnick maintained that Nigeria’s 2022 qualification failure was not due to poor leadership, insisting that the team neither lost nor secured the decisive win required, and that the earlier qualification models were more favourable.
Pinnick also said his administration ensured unprecedented Nigerian representation across CAF and FIFA committees, adding that some of his contributions were not for public disclosure. He urged Nigerians to focus more on positive achievements rather than persistent criticism, arguing that dwelling on shortcomings hinders national progress.
