( CNN ) -- Nigeria 's president Goodluck Jonathan has suspended the national soccer team from international competition for two years after their dismal performance at the World Cup . Nigeria came bottom of Group B at the tournament in South Africa , losing to Argentina and Greece before drawing with South Korea . Now president Jonathan has dissolved the Nigerian Football Federation and removed the `` Super Eagles '' from the international circuit , meaning sanctions could follow from soccer 's governing body FIFA . Nigeria 's Sports Minister Ibrahim Isa Bio confirmed the decision in an interview with CNN . `` The government has taken a decision we believe is in the interests of Nigeria that we should for now , withdraw from international competition because our football since 1996 seems not to be growing , '' he said . `` The government spends a lot of money to encourage football in Nigeria and we need to go back to the drawing board the way Ghana did two years ago . `` The president Goodluck Jonathan has endorsed this decision and the Nigerian people are excited about it . `` They are not happy with the performance [ in the World Cup ] and the Nigerian people believe the right thing to do is start all over again . We have informed FIFA of our intentions . '' Earlier , Mr Isa Bio 's spokesman , Olukayode Thomas , told CNN : `` Nigeria is a sovereign state and has the right to take a decision aimed at improving the nation . It 's a decision that was taken by all Nigerians . We ca n't stand back and watch our football decline because of FIFA rules . '' Thomas said an interim body has been established in the wake of the football federation 's demise , and that new elections would be held shortly to appoint new officials . CNN anchor Pedro Pinto said the decision was also based on Nigeria 's performance at the African Cup of Nations , as well as their organization of the under-17 World Cup . FIFA rules prevent governments from interfering in the running of national football federations , and on Wednesday president Sepp Blatter warned France on a similar issue . FIFA told CNN they had no official information on the matter , but that their `` position regarding political interference in football is well known . '' Fulham midfielder Dickson Etuhu , who played every game in Nigeria 's World Cup campaign , told CNN he was stunned by the decision . `` I 'm so shocked at the moment I do n't know what to say or how to react , '' he said . `` Obviously there 's a lot of things that are n't right in Nigerian football , it should be doing a lot better than it is . I do n't think banning us is going to help . `` With us coming out of the World Cup the way we did obviously there will be meetings about that because no-one will be happy . `` For me and the other players , no international football for two years is not something we 'll be happy with because we all love playing for our country . I do n't know how that 's going to go down . `` You could say it 's a bit extreme banning us for two years , but every country has a different way of handling their affairs and we have to respect the decision the president has made . ''
Nigeria 's president Goodluck Jonathan has disbanded the national football team . Decision was in response to Nigeria 's poor performance at the World Cup . Government says it wants to rebuild the national football federation . A spokesman for the sports minister says he has approval of all Nigerians .