The debate over who bears responsibility for the Super Eagles‘ persistent underperformance has produced sharp divisions among former players, and John Ogu has come down firmly in the middle, Footynaija.com reports.
The former defensive midfielder, who earned 26 caps for Nigeria and was part of the 2018 World Cup squad, thinks pointing the finger only at the NFF misses a big part of the picture.
Nigeria’s failure to qualify for the 2026 World Cup, their second consecutive absence from the tournament, has intensified calls for accountability at the federation level.
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John Mikel Obi was among the most vocal, demanding the entire NFF board be removed if qualification was missed. But Ogu, speaking on Bet9ja’s Home Turf podcast, has a different view.
“Hold the players responsible, because when I was in the Super Eagles, I was there for years,” Ogu said.
“The NFF provided the best welfare for us to deliver. Don’t put the blame on the NFF, put it on the players too. I’ll say they should share the blame equally.”
He was willing to acknowledge structural failings at the federation, but stopped well short of letting the players off the hook.
“I’ll fault the Federation because of the faulty structure, but they do try. They provide the best hotels, make sure we get our bonuses. They do their best, even though it might not be enough. Blame the players. NFF do their best,” he added.
With Nigeria now looking ahead to the 2026 Unity Cup and friendlies against Poland and Portugal, the question of accountability remains unresolved. To Ogu, it belongs on both sides of the dressing room door.
