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11 clusters · 43 sources · 46 days · First seen · Last updated

Nigeria football reform and leadership crisis

Overview

By early September 2026, the administrative crisis within the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) transitioned into a formal restructuring phase. Following the mass resignations of President Ibrahim Musa Gusau, General Secretary Mohammed Sanusi, and several Executive Committee members on August 27, FIFA and the Confederation of African Football (CAF) have officially suspended the NFF electoral process. This suspension halts elections that were originally scheduled for September 27.

International football authorities are currently reviewing the legal, governance, and administrative circumstances of the federation. This follows a September 1 meeting in Zurich between a National Sports Commission (NSC) delegation, led by Chairman Shehu Dikko, and FIFA President Gianni Infantino. FIFA and CAF have indicated they will dispatch representatives to Abuja to consult with the NFF, congress members, and the NSC before finalizing the federation’s future structure.

To manage the transition, the NSC is preparing to recommend an eight-member Normalisation Committee to FIFA to oversee the NFF during comprehensive reforms. These reforms, directed by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, aim to address systemic issues following poor performances by national teams, such as the Super Falcons' failure to qualify for the 2027 Women's World Cup.

While an interim management team led by Dr. Emmanuel Ikpeme has been installed, stakeholders like Harrison Jalla, Chairman of the Advocacy for Nigeria Football Reform Initiative, have raised concerns regarding a “lack of transparency and accountability” in the NSC's process. Critics continue to call for a more inclusive approach to ensure the transition remains democratic.

Entities

Nigeria Football Federation · FIFA · Super Eagles · Ibrahim Musa Gusau · Ibrahim Gusau

Claims

What the coverage asserts, and how many sources carry each claim.

Timeline

  1. 4 days ago

    [SPORTS] 8 sources
    Nigeria Football Federation elections suspended by FIFA and CAF

    FIFA and CAF have suspended Nigeria Football Federation elections following the mass resignation of top officials, including President Ibrahim Gusau, amid a governance and performance crisis.

  2. 7 days ago

    [SPORTS] 2 sources
    Nigeria football undergoes major governance overhaul

    Nigeria is overhauling its football governance following a presidential directive. Critics warn that a lack of transparency and the influence of former officials could derail the NFF reform process.

  3. 10 days ago

    [SPORTS] 14 sources
    Nigeria Football Federation enters reform process after mass NFF resignations

    FIFA has accepted the mass resignation of NFF officials and is working with Nigeria's National Sports Commission to implement a reform roadmap and appoint a Normalisation Committee to oversee the federation.

  4. 14 days ago

    [SPORTS] 20 sources
    Nigeria Football Federation undergoes leadership overhaul and reform

    The NFF is undergoing major restructuring following the mass resignation of its president and executive committee. FIFA has accepted the resignations and is consulting on a reform roadmap with Nigerian sports-.

  5. 18 days ago

    [SPORTS] 6 sources
    Nigeria Football Federation faces leadership crisis

    The Nigeria Football Federation faces potential mass board resignations and leadership instability following the failure of its national teams to qualify for major FIFA World Cups.

  6. 18 days ago

    [SPORTS] 4 sources
    Nigerian football leadership and awards updates

    Nigerian football faces discussions on NFF leadership continuity following recent national team successes and the announcement of the 12th Nigeria Pitch Awards scheduled for September 2026.

  7. 19 days ago

    [SPORTS] 4 sources
    Nigeria football faces squad changes and NFF reform calls

    Nigeria's football landscape faces dual challenges: coach Eric Chelle eyes new talent for AFCON qualifiers, while calls for a total overhaul of the Nigeria Football Federation intensify.

  8. 21 days ago

    [SPORTS] 8 sources
    Nigeria football faces leadership crisis and structural decay

    Nigeria faces a deepening football crisis as experts warn of potential FIFA bans due to NFF leadership instability and systemic failures in grassroots talent discovery and structural governance.

  9. 27 days ago

    [SPORTS] 8 sources
    Super Falcons and Banyana Banyana face World Cup playoff battle

    Nigeria's Super Falcons and South Africa's Banyana Banyana must navigate intercontinental playoffs to qualify for the 2027 FIFA Women's World Cup following recent setbacks in the WAFCON tournament.

  10. about 1 month ago

    [SPORTS] 2 sources
    Nigeria Football Federation faces calls for reform after missing two World Cups

    Former player Seyi Olofinjana and NFF presidential candidate Segun Solanke call for reforms after Nigeria missed the 2022 and 2026 World Cups, urging better planning and governance to restore qualification.

  11. about 2 months ago

    [SPORTS] 4 sources
    Nigeria's World Cup prospects depend on stability as former players demand reform

    Former coach Oliseh, FIFA and ex‑player Ikeme all warn Nigeria must achieve administrative stability to end its World Cup drought.

Sources

africa.businessinsider.com · arise.tv · authorityngr.com · blueprint.ng · brainnewspaper.com · businessamlive.com · businessday.ng · businesselitesafrica.com · chronicle.ng · completesports.com · completesportsnigeria.com · dailyreport.ng · dailytrust.com · dailytrust.com.ng · ghanasoccernet.com · gistmania.com · goss.ie · gwg.ng · iroyinyorubatv.com.ng · naijanews.com · nannews.ng · nationaldailyng.com · newsnowonline.com.ng · nigeriafootball.ng · nigerianobservernews.com · nigeriasoccernet.com · nnn.ng · notjustok.com · premiumtimesng.com · pulsesports.ng · punchng.com · sabcnews.com · scorenigeria.com.ng · soccernet.ng · sports247.ng · sportsration.com · thenff.com · thenicheng.com · thepodiummedia.com · thetidenewsonline.com · thisdaylive.com · tori.ng · zalebs.com

This summary has been updated 19 times: see revision history