Senate summons NFF, NSC over Nigeria’s 2026, 2027 World Cup failures

Nigeria’s Super Eagles failed to qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, prompting Nigeria’s Senate Sports Committee to summon the country’s football authorities. The Super Falcons also missed the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup, the first time in their history that they have failed to reach the tournament.

The committee met National Sports Commission chairman Shehu Dikko and Nigeria Football Federation president Ibrahim Musa Gusau on Wednesday. Its chairman, Abdul Ahmed Ningi, said the session was intended to establish why Nigeria’s senior national teams have suffered such setbacks.

The back-to-back qualification failures have placed the preparation, administration and technical direction of the teams under renewed scrutiny. The Senate is seeking explanations from both the NFF and the NSC over the responsibilities they hold in managing and supporting the national sides.

Ningi also pointed to the financial and motivational backing given to players and officials by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. The committee wants to understand why that support has not produced the expected qualification results, particularly when Nigeria continues to possess a strong pool of football talent.

The Super Eagles’ absence from the 2026 World Cup and the Super Falcons’ historic failure to qualify for the 2027 women’s edition have intensified pressure on the country’s football leadership. Former internationals and other stakeholders have differed over whether the main problems are rooted in NFF leadership, the wider administration of the sport or deeper structural weaknesses.

The Senate’s involvement adds institutional scrutiny to the debate over Nigeria’s national teams. The meeting gives the NFF and NSC an opportunity to account for their roles and identify the factors behind the failures, while attention turns to reforms that could produce more consistent results in future qualification campaigns.