Manny Ita-
Former President of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), Amaju Pinnick, is facing intense public criticism following a series of statements in which he asserted that the Super Eagles would have secured a spot in the 2026 FIFA World Cup had he remained in office. Speaking during a recent interview on Sunday Oliseh’s Global Football Insights show and subsequent media appearances, Pinnick expressed shock at the national team’s current predicament, particularly given that the expanded format now offers ten qualification slots to African nations. The former CAF Vice President argued that his administrative experience and ability to set the “right tone, structure, and direction from the start” would have ensured a different outcome for the team. “I didn’t see it coming because ten teams from Africa will qualify,” Pinnick stated, adding, “For the 2026 World Cup, if I were there, definitely, Nigeria would have qualified. There is no basis for Nigeria not to have qualified.”
The remarks have sparked a wave of condemnation from football stakeholders and fans, many of whom pointed to the Super Eagles’ failure to qualify for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar during Pinnick’s second term. Critics have labeled his comments as “insensitive” and a slight against the current NFF leadership under Ibrahim Gusau. On various sports radio programs this week, callers expressed outrage, with one notable critic questioning the logic of his boast: “Was it not under his watch that we failed to beat Ghana in Abuja? Now he’s running his mouth and blaming others.” Pinnick has defended his record by recalling the 2018 World Cup qualification campaign, which he described as navigating the “toughest group ever” consisting of former AFCON winners. “We qualified with two games to spare, and we didn’t sleep,” he noted, while reiterating that the 2022 failure still “haunts” him and asking for national forgiveness.
Despite the backlash, Pinnick has maintained that his assertions are based on “lessons learned on and off the field” during his eight-year tenure. He further suggested that the current struggles of the Super Eagles expose a “deeper failure in leadership and structure,” though he offered a measured defense of his successor, Ibrahim Gusau. Pinnick remarked that if Gusau is re-elected, the 경험 gained from this current setback would likely ensure qualification for the 2030 tournament. “I said so and I don’t have any regrets saying it,” Pinnick told Brila FM, insisting that his confidence stems from knowing that “every point counts” from the very first day of a campaign—a standard he claims he would have strictly enforced.
