NFF President Gusau, Executive Committee Resign After National Teams Setbacks

By Adedapo Adesanya

The President of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), Mr Ibrahim Gusau, has resigned from office, ending his tenure as the head of Nigeria’s football governing body.

Mr Gusau announced his resignation on Thursday at a press conference in Abuja, amid increasing concerns over the performances of the country’s national teams. His resignation followed reports that he and members of the NFF Executive Committee had relinquished their positions.

The development comes at a time of mounting pressure on the federation following a series of disappointing results in international football. The Super Eagles failed to qualify for the 2022 and 2026 FIFA World Cups, while the Super Falcons recently missed out on the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Brazil.

Nigeria’s youth teams have also recorded underwhelming results, with the Golden Eaglets missing qualification for the FIFA U-17 World Cup in three successive editions, despite being the competition’s most successful team with five titles.

The country’s Olympic side, the Dream Team, has similarly struggled to restore the status it achieved after winning the gold medal at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics.

The poor run of results has intensified demands from football stakeholders and fans for reforms in the management of the game and a fresh strategy for developing Nigeria’s national teams.

Mr Gusau’s resignation comes as the NFF Congress holds an emergency meeting to address the situation within the federation.

The meeting is expected to examine recent developments, the status of the Executive Committee and Secretariat, and the implications for the federation’s governance, stability and independence.

The Congress is also expected to review possible measures under the statutes of the NFF, the Confederation of African Football (CAF) and the Federation of the International Football Association (FIFA) before deciding on the next steps.

Mr Gusau’s departure is expected to set the stage for a new phase in Nigerian football, with stakeholders now looking towards restoring stability within the federation and improving the fortunes of the national teams.