NFF on firing line should new Super Eagles coach not qualify for 2026 World Cup

Last night, a top official simply told me in plain language that failure by a new Super Eagles coach to qualify for the 2026 World Cup will cost top NFF chiefs their juicy jobs.

“Nigeria can go on to win the AFCON next year in Morocco, but if we fail to qualify for the 2026 World Cup, the NFF board is gone!,” he warned.

The search for a coach of the Super Eagles has often been full of intrigues, stories that touch the heart and soul, but the delay in this latest pursuit questions the competence and purpose of the NFF.

NFF president Ibrahim Gusau was clear in Abidjan that Jose Peseiro will not continue at the head of the Super Eagles even after he led the country to the AFCON final.

That means he and his executives were not taken by surprise when the Portuguese coach moved on by the end of February when his contract ran out.

But did they have a succession plan in place in the event of the departure of Peseiro, which was a badly kept secret to most people.

It does not appear so because the NFF are still cooking in their kitchen the perfect replacement for Peseiro more than eight weeks since the country failed to win a fourth AFCON championship.

Gusau himself was very clear during his campaign for the NFF Presidency two years ago that the Super Eagles are the biggest brand of Nigeria football and their results will go a long way to determine the success or failure of an administration.

His predecessor, Amaju Pinnick, could not stand for a third term in office because the Super Eagles failed to qualify for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.

It is therefore of paramount importance that the country will feature at the expanded 2026 World Cup to be jointly hosted by USA, Canada and Mexico.

Gusau should also be clear that the appointment of a new coach has taken added significance now after Peseiro could only scrape two draws in the opening two rounds of the World Cup qualifiers.  

The next two World Cup qualifiers in June, at home against main rivals South Africa and away in Benin, are therefore must-win for Nigeria to get their campaign back on course.

It was a faux pas by the NFF that the new coach was not in place for the friendlies last month in Morocco as that would have gone a long way in getting him started on the job.

It was most regrettable as it was an opportunity lost.

The new Super Eagles coach must therefore be worth the wait and hit the ground running when he is eventually appointed.

His success or failure will also determine the fate of his bosses and, thankfully, they also know this fact.