‘Wrong people are working in our federation’ - Ex-Super Eagles star slams NFF's ridiculous statement

The Super Eagles of Nigeria have had a disappointing World Cup qualifying campaign, which could see them miss out on the FIFA World Cup in 2026.

Nigeria needed to win two straight games during the international break in September, but they drew with South Africa despite defeating Rwanda 1-0.

After the disappointing draw, the NFF released a statement blaming William Troost-Ekong and Cyriel Dessers for the team’s disappointment.

Odemwingie responded to the NFF situation by calling the statement unprofessional and exposing the high degree of incompetence among the officials behind such judgements.

“It is a sign that the wrong people are working in our federation, it’s very unprofessional,” the former Nigerian international said, as reported by Brila.

“These are people who work in certain positions without the required qualifications. They are just like fans — you can give that job to ordinary fans, and he will probably do a job as good as that person has done.”

“It’s very unprofessional and wrong. This is a problem when things get serious and get to an international level; you can’t act like a bushman.

“These people just acted like people from the tree, not really as an organisation that has aspirations to take Nigerian football to the next level.”

“You know, Nigerians, we have what it takes to get to the World Cup final, not just the AFCON only. If we are to step up higher, everything must be ready for that step forward — but we are still talking about things like this.

“It’s a shame because we look childish, and this isn’t the time to pick on any player. You know the players have a legacy; it’s not the time to start looking for a scapegoat.

“The reason why we are like this is way bigger than the performance of one or two players,” the 44-year-old concluded.

With a 2026 FIFA World Cup dream out of the question, the Super Eagles may now focus on the forthcoming AFCON 2025 competition.