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Former Super Eagles captain John Obi Mikel has announced his interest in taking a leadership role within the Nigeria Football Federation, stressing that he would only step into such a position if it operates without corruption

.Mikel’s comments follow Nigeria’s failure to qualify for the FIFA World Cup, a setback he believes highlights deeper structural problems within Nigerian football.

The 37 year old said the issues extend beyond the pitch and require a complete reset driven by integrity and accountability.

Mikel, who has long been vocal about his commitment to national service, said he has always prioritised Nigeria throughout his football career.

“One thing I have always done since my early days is fought for the country. I don’t know how many players have done that like I have, through the U17, U20, the senior national team.”

“Years of sacrifice. I have never for once said no to my country.”

He added that he remains ready to contribute, but only under the right conditions.

“When I know I can give my opinion and help, I will always be ready. But again, I won’t have corruption tied to me. I am never going to do that if I am going to say yes.

“If you want us going forward, you must make sure things are done properly. Get the right people, people that have the same direction and thought, so when the players come back home to play, there is a good environment for them to play and perform.”

Beyond his playing career, Mikel has gained administrative experience. In July 2023, he was appointed Honorary Adviser on Sports in Plateau State by Governor Caleb Mutfwang, where he has contributed to sports development and strategic planning.

His leadership role, combined with his global football profile, has led many observers to view him as a potential reformist figure who could help reset Nigerian football governance.

Randy Waldrum, former head coach of the Super Falcons, has questioned the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) over $960,000 it allegedly got from FIFA in preparation for the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand.

In a viral video on X, Waldrum said that a FIFA insider informed him that every nation that participated in the competition was given money to prepare their squad.

The NFF is claimed to have received roughly N1.4 billion in Naira in October 2022 to support the team.

The former coach lamented that despite receiving the huge sum of money, the NFF could not even put the team in camp before the World Cup and could not afford business-class tickets for the team.

Waldrum said that corruption is never questioned in Nigeria, unlike in the US, where people will seek to know how public funds are spent.

The coach also said that the NFF could only allow him to work with just seven staff, despite that it was FIFA that paid for the bonuses of the technical staff, adding that he was at the tournament without an analyst and not even a scout.

“I have a real close contact here in the US that is very connected with some of the board at FIFA.

“This person told me that in October, every country was given $960,000 from FIFA to prepare for the World cup, where is that money,” Waldrum said.

” If Nigeria got that money why didn’t we have a camp in November? We went to Japan, we flew in and played the game and went home.

“We wasted the last five days of that window to train.“So, all these questions I have is where is this money?

And the other thing I found out through my FIFA connections is that if countries don’t have the money to buy business class tickets for everybody, FIFA will fund the money and buy those tickets and just deduct it from the monies you get from FIFA after the World Cup.

Super Eagles striker and Galatasaray forward Victor Osimhen has reportedly donated ₦5 million to assist with the medical treatment of popular online food vendor and Twitter personality, Aunty Esther, who is currently battling breast cancer.

Soccernet reported that Osimhen made the donation after he encountered a distressing video of the elderly woman, identified as Esther Omolola Mensah, crying in pain on a hospital bed while revealing the extent of the damage the illness had caused.

The footage, widely circulated on social media, stirred widespread sympathy and urgent calls for support.

Aunty Esther, known for sourcing and delivering market items for her followers, had grown a loyal community online because of her warm personality and trustworthiness.

However, her business ground to a halt in recent months as her health deteriorated.

When her condition worsened, concerned social media users rallied around her, mobilising funds and ensuring she received immediate medical attention.

Doctors later confirmed that she required extensive and costly treatment, prompting her supporters to create a verified fundraising account. Thousands of Nigerians have since contributed to the fund.

The biggest support came on Wednesday when Osimhen transferred ₦5 million to the account. The gesture sparked an emotional response from the beneficiary, who publicly expressed her gratitude.