Former Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) President Amaju Pinnick has blamed the Super Eagles’ failure to qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup partly on the new qualification format introduced for African teams.

Pinnick made the remarks on Monday at the Big Sport Dialogue in Ikoyi, where he was confronted with tough questions from Abayomi Ogunjimi, the National President of the Authentic Nigeria Football and Allied Sports Supporters Club.

Ogunjimi questioned how Pinnick used his influence as a former CAF First Vice President and FIFA Council member to advance Nigeria’s football interests, noting that the country failed to qualify for the World Cup during his second tenure in 2022 and is set to miss the upcoming edition in 2026.

Responding, Pinnick insisted that Nigeria’s failure was not due to poor leadership but rather the change in qualification structure, arguing that the team would have comfortably qualified under the 2018 model.

“You said we did not qualify under me. We did not lose, and we did not win,” he said.

“If they had followed the same format they followed in 2018 — when we were in one of the toughest groups ever with Zambia, Cameroon and Algeria — we qualified with two games to spare.”

Pinnick defended his administration by highlighting major achievements during his tenure, including memorable victories over top teams.

“During our period, we beat Argentina. We beat Poland in Poland. We played in England, and England struggled against us,” he said.

He also credited himself with influencing the design of Nigeria’s iconic jersey, noting that he personally told Nike to “freestyle.”

Beyond on-field results, Pinnick stressed that Nigeria gained unprecedented representation in global football bodies during his tenure.

“What I can tell you is that during my period as a member of the CAF Council, I had a minimum of twenty-five Nigerians in various committees. That was unprecedented.”

While declining to list all his interventions, Pinnick maintained that not all contributions could be made public.

“There are some things that are better left unsaid. Those who know, know,” he added.

He emphasized that scrutiny is healthy and said he welcomed tough questions, insisting that progress requires honest conversations.

Pinnick also disclosed that he currently serves as Vice President of the Committee for the 2026 World Cup, a role he described as “critical for Africa and the world,” despite Nigeria’s absence from the tournament.

He urged Nigerians to focus more on positive achievements rather than dwelling solely on failures.

“We should be emphasising only the positives. We only emphasise negatives, and it does not take us anywhere in this country,” he said.