The usual thrill and glamour associated with the FIFA World Cup will be missing in Nigeria as the expanded 48-format of the championships kicks off today.

Hosts, Mexico, will take on one of Africa’s teams, the Bafana Bafana of South Africa, in the opening match of the championship, featuring 10 African teams and 37 other countries. Sadly, Nigeria is not among the participants, and the frustration of missing from the most glamorous global football event is telling on Nigerians.

Pained by the country’s failure to qualify for a second consecutive World Cup, football legend, Olusegun “Mathematical” Odegbami, says the current board of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) should be flushed out over their ineptitude.

An angry Odegbami said during the week that the NFF board does not deserve another term in office, arguing that failing to qualify for major global tournaments should have triggered their immediate, voluntary resignations.

“But since they are not willing to resign, Nigerians should ‘flush’ them out,” he said.

Another angry analyst, Ifeoluwa Leo, took to his Facebook account to express his disappointment, saying: “It is very sad Nigeria is not among the countries featuring in the 2026 World Cup.”

Leo was more particular about the NFF Secretary General, Mohammed Sanusi, saying that “the NFF General Secretary should have left the same time as Amaju Pinnick, especially when a northerner (Ibrahim Gusau) emerged as president.

“This man (Sanusi) is responsible for most of the problems coming from the Nigeria Football Federation, and until he leaves, progress will always be at a social distance from football in Nigeria.

“I wonder how the National Sports Commission are yet to do the proper thing and ensure he is booted out of an office he wants to remain in for a lifetime after spending over 19 years as secretary.

“September is almost here. If Gusau comes back and this man remains in office, the Super Eagles will kiss the 2030 World Cup goodbye. We have to reform our football, restore our pride,” he stated.

With a total of 48 countries competing in the 2026 World Cup, the usual street-level frenzy, massive watch parties, and national pride typically tied to the FIFA World Cup are largely missing from local viewing centres across Nigeria.

Nigeria is missing over N10.5 billion, which other qualified countries will get in this tournament.

Perhaps, the only thing left for some Nigerians is the ‘Diaspora twist’ because of the presence of some players born to Nigerian parents or who developed their early skills in the country but now starring for other nations at the World Cup.

These include the likes of Bukayo Saka, Eberechi Eze, and Noni Madueke for England, Michael Olise (France), Jamal Musiala and Felix Nmecha (Germany), Folarin Balogun (United States), Manuel Akanji (who famously has a Super Eagles tattoo) and Noah Okafor. They are playing for Switzerland.

Others are David Alaba and Carney Chukwuemeka (Austria), Owen Goodman, Tani Oluwaseyi, and Promise David (Canada) and Antonio Nusa (Norway).