Bashir Ahmad Accuses Mikel Obi of Demoralizing Super Eagles Players, Gives Reason
Former presidential aide, Bashir Ahmad who is known for his wobbly stance on national issues, has lashed out former Super Eagles Captain, Mikel Obi.
Mikel Obi had in a podcast, called for the dissolution of the current board of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), accusing them of being the reason behind the Super Eagles of Nigeria underperformance in their world cup qualifier matches.
Nigeria’s hope of qualifying for the 2026 world cup in United States of America hangs in balance with South Africa and Benin topping the group C. Their last match against South Africa which ended in a draw further placed Nigeria in a more precarious position despite the world cup qualifier matches remaining two matches.
Bashir Ahmad will responding to Mikel Obi’s tantrum, stated that he is surprised by the former Chelsea FC player’s stance, especially his call for the NFF board to be dissolved.
Bashir Ahmad described Mikel Obi’s remarks as divisive and demoralizing to the players who still have two match remaining to determine their final fate.
He added that Peter Obi as a veteran who during his playing days enjoyed the support of the NFF board, ought to be supporting the current NFF leadership at this important period irrespective. According to him, Nigerians and the players are still optimistic about their qualifying for the 2026 world cup; hence, need not to be demoralized by Mikel Obi who should know better.
He said “At this crucial stage, the Super Eagles need all the encouragement they can get, not divisive statements from veterans of the game. Words carry weight, especially when they come from players who had the privilege of representing Nigeria at the tournament. Instead of boosting morale, such utterances can demoralize the players, weaken the resolve of the management and shake the confidence of fans praying for a turnaround”.
Nigerians and Beninese have appealed to FIFA and CAF to take action against South Africa as regarding the allegation of their fielding an unqualified player in their world cup qualifier match against Lesotho.
Nigerians believe that a three point deduction from South Africa could be helpful to their qualifying.
