Gusau Begs FIFA to Save NFF as Government Moves to Sack Board Over String of Failures

NFF President Ibrahim Musa Gusau has written to FIFA, appealing to the world football governing body to stop the Nigerian government from sacking his executive board, a move that could trigger a fresh FIFA ban on Nigeria.

The Federal Government has given the National Sports Commission the go-ahead to set up an interim committee to manage Nigerian football and halt the planned NFF elections scheduled for September 27 in Lafia, Nasarawa State. The decision was reached after the Super Falcons, for the first time in history, failed to qualify for the Women’s World Cup, following the Super Eagles’ failure to qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The situation led to a marching order given to the NSC to sack the NFF and set up a management team for Nigerian football for the next three months.

Gusau, who was looking ahead to coasting to a win that would give him another four years in office in the September elections, has now written to FIFA citing government interference, which could trigger a ban for Nigeria. However, the NSC has reportedly perfected how to go about firing the board in a manner that will not contravene FIFA’s stand on interference, and they have already told the Gusau-led board to humbly resign or be forced out of office.

The crisis deepened on Wednesday night after the Gusau-led board was summoned to the Presidential Villa, where the football chiefs were reportedly ordered to resign. The NFF leadership first met with the Senate Committee on Sports alongside officials of the NSC before they were later invited to the Presidential Villa, where the Presidency expressed serious concerns over the state of Nigerian football.

Gusau and his men have come under intense pressure following a series of poor results of the national teams under his charge. The Super Eagles suffered the biggest setback after failing to qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which was followed by the inability of the Super Falcons to successfully defend their Women’s Africa Cup of Nations title and failing to pick a ticket to the 2027 Women’s World Cup. The Flying Eagles and Golden Eaglets also suffered a similar fate.

The NFF administration has presided over one of the worst periods in Nigerian football history. Nigeria missed the World Cup for a second straight edition after losing to DR Congo on penalties in the African play-off final. The Super Falcons, 10-time African champions and defending WAFCON title holders, were knocked out in the quarter-finals by Cameroon, missing the Women’s World Cup for the first time since the competition began in 1991. The Golden Eaglets failed to qualify for the 2025 U-17 Africa Cup of Nations and the 2026 FIFA U-17 World Cup, a sharp decline for a country that has won the FIFA U-17 World Cup five times.

The NSC has cancelled the NFF electoral congress scheduled for September 27, paving the way for what sources described as a broader reorganisation of the federation. The commission is expected to constitute a normalisation committee to oversee the affairs of Nigerian football for an initial three-month period. Former NFF president Amaju Pinnick has been linked with the proposed arrangement, although his involvement has not been officially confirmed. Reports indicate that an earlier move to bring him into the new structure encountered opposition within the Presidency.

The proposed intervention could trigger concerns over FIFA’s rules on government interference in the administration of member associations. Nigeria has previously faced FIFA sanctions over disputes involving government intervention in football administration, having been suspended by FIFA in 2014 after government interference led to the removal of an elected NFF executive and the installation of a government-backed administrator. FIFA’s position is consistent: member associations must operate independently without third-party interference.

Nigerian football legend Segun Odegbami has described the current period as the worst in the country’s football history. “I know where we are coming from, I know where we derailed, and I know where we are now. Where we are now is not where we should be,” he said. “This is the worst period in our football history, where we have lost everything. And yet, we have the largest pool of talent, probably in the world.” Odegbami has reportedly prepared to approach the court to stop the September election.

The crisis has also extended to financial investigations. The EFCC and ICPC are probing the utilisation of the N12 billion intervention fund approved by President Bola Tinubu in 2024 to clear outstanding salaries and bonuses. Some officials linked to the management of the fund have been invited by investigators and have reportedly provided statements. The Senate has also summoned the NSC and the NFF over Nigeria’s football woes.

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