Gusau’s exit offers Nigeria a rare opportunity to dismantle a troubled football system and build one that can finally match the country’s enormous talent
Nigeria’s football administration is facing one of its most consequential leadership crises in years following the resignation of Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) President Ibrahim Musa Gusau, General Secretary Mohammed Sanusi and several members of the federation’s Executive Committee.
Gusau confirmed his resignation at a press conference in Abuja on Thursday, August 27, bringing to an end his tenure which began in 2022.
His departure came amid mounting pressure over Nigeria’s worsening football fortunes, particularly the Super Eagles’ failure to qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup and the Super Falcons’ historic inability to qualify for the 2027 Women’s World Cup.
For the Super Falcons, the setback was particularly painful because Nigeria had participated in every edition of the Women’s World Cup since the competition began in 1991.
The failure to reach the 2027 tournament therefore represents an unprecedented break in the country’s record and has intensified questions about the direction of Nigerian women’s football.
The Super Eagles had earlier suffered another major disappointment after losing to the Democratic Republic of Congo on penalties in the African play-off for the 2026 World Cup, leaving Nigeria outside the tournament for a second consecutive edition.
These failures have intensified the debate over whether the country’s football problems can still be addressed through the familiar cycle of changing coaches, players and administrators.
Nigeria’s football emergency, however, did not begin with these two qualification failures. For years, the country has battled recurring problems ranging from unpaid bonuses and allowances to weak domestic competitions, inadequate infrastructure, inconsistent technical planning, governance concerns, political interference and questions over the management of football resources.
Reports have also linked the present crisis to scrutiny of a N17 billion intervention fund approved by the federal government to settle outstanding obligations to national-team players and officials.
The controversy has further strengthened calls for greater transparency and accountability in the administration of football funds.
Consequently, replacing the man occupying the NFF presidency without changing the machinery underneath him would amount to little more than cosmetic surgery.
Nigeria does not merely need another football election; it needs a fundamental reset of the system that has repeatedly produced the same problems.
Why NFF Keeps Failing
Nigeria possesses one of Africa’s deepest pools of football talent, with its players featuring prominently in some of the biggest leagues in Europe and across the world.
The country has also produced generations of stars capable of competing at the highest international level, yet it continues to struggle to translate that enormous talent into sustained success.
One major problem is the absence of a coherent long-term football philosophy. Administrations change, coaches are hired and fired, players come and go and committees are constituted, but the underlying system remains largely unchanged.
The current crisis should therefore not be approached simply as another opportunity for political realignment.
The fundamental question should be what kind of NFF Nigeria needs and what institutional framework will allow that federation to succeed regardless of who occupies the presidency.
Here are 10 practical steps that could help transform Nigerian football.
1. Stop Running NFF Like a Political Club
The first reform must begin with the culture of football administration. NFF elections should not be reduced to contests of political influence, regional calculations, lobbying power and delegate mobilisation, because the ultimate casualty of such a system is often football itself.
Whoever eventually emerges should be subjected to clear competence requirements covering football administration, financial management, corporate governance, international relations and strategic planning.
Nigeria has enough politicians in public life; what Nigerian football needs are administrators capable of managing football as a serious professional institution.
2. Make NFF Financially Transparent
Every naira received by the federation should be properly accounted for, including government intervention funds, FIFA Forward allocations, CAF grants, sponsorship revenues, gate receipts, commercial partnerships and other sources of income.
Such funds should be subjected to independent annual audits, with audited reports made available to relevant football stakeholders. Major contracts and procurement processes should also be published, subject only to legitimate commercial confidentiality.
A federation handling public resources and substantial international football revenues must be accountable to the people and stakeholders whose game it administers.
3. End the Embarrassing Bonus Saga
Few things damage the credibility of a football federation more than national-team players having to fight for bonuses after representing their country.
Nigeria has repeatedly experienced disputes involving unpaid bonuses and allowances, with such disagreements sometimes overshadowing preparations for major competitions.
The solution requires financial discipline and proper planning. Before every major tournament, the NFF should establish the exact financial obligations to players and officials, secure the funds and sign enforceable agreements so that nobody representing Nigeria has to threaten a boycott, stage a protest or embark on a training strike before receiving money already earned.
4. Create a 10-year National Football Masterplan
Nigeria cannot continue to operate from tournament to tournament while hoping that another generation of naturally gifted players will rescue the country.
A comprehensive 10-year football blueprint should cover grassroots development, school football, academies, coaching education, scouting, women’s football, futsal, beach soccer, refereeing and elite national teams.
Such a plan should contain measurable targets that can be reviewed every two years, ensuring that successive NFF administrations cannot simply abandon programmes introduced by their predecessors.
If Nigeria wants to continue producing players of the quality of Jay-Jay Okocha, Kanu Nwankwo, Sunday Oliseh, Florence Omagbemi and Asisat Oshoala, it must deliberately build the system capable of developing and retaining such talent.
5. Rescue the Domestic League
National teams cannot remain healthy while domestic football continues to struggle. The NPFL, NNL and NWFL require stronger commercial structures, proper club licensing, better stadiums, reliable calendars, improved broadcasting, professional administration and sustainable sponsorship.
Nigeria should develop a domestic league capable of retaining promising young players longer and providing a credible pathway to the national teams.
The NFF must also work with clubs to establish enforceable financial and administrative standards, because a commercially attractive domestic league would create jobs, develop players and reduce excessive dependence on government funding.
6. Create a Technical Department That Politicians Cannot Control
Coaches should be appointed because of their qualifications and suitability for the job rather than their political connections.
Player selection should be based on performance, fitness, tactical suitability and the requirements of the national-team system.
A technically independent department should oversee national-team appointments, scouting, player development, coaching education and the country’s football philosophy.
The NFF president should provide leadership and resources for that structure without selecting players, dictating formations or interfering with technical decisions.
7. Bring Former Players Into Real Decision-making
Nigeria has an extraordinary reservoir of former internationals, coaches and football professionals whose knowledge remains underutilised.
Figures such as Segun Odegbami, Daniel Amokachi, Sunday Oliseh, Austin Okocha, Joseph Yobo and Seyi Olofinjana represent different generations and forms of football experience that could contribute meaningfully to national development.
However, former players should not be invited merely to decorate committees or add famous names to official photographs.
They should occupy meaningful positions where their knowledge can influence scouting, youth development, coaching education, technical policy and international football strategy, while former Super Falcons players should equally have a strong voice in decisions affecting women’s football.
8. Reform the NFF Electoral System
This may be the most politically sensitive reform because questions about the NFF electoral structure have persisted for years.
Critics have argued that the system can favour established interests and make it difficult for genuine reform candidates to compete on equal terms.
Any new process should therefore examine delegate representation, eligibility requirements, campaign financing, conflicts of interest, term limits and the independence of the electoral process.
The system must be transparent enough to give losing candidates confidence that they were defeated fairly, because an administration whose electoral legitimacy is constantly questioned will struggle to command broad confidence.
9. Create a Performance Contract for Every NFF Administration
Nigeria should stop giving football administrators four-year blank cheques. Every incoming NFF administration should publish measurable objectives covering World Cup qualification, AFCON performance, youth development, women’s football, domestic-league growth, sponsorship revenue, infrastructure development, financial reporting and coaching development.
Performance should be assessed publicly, with failure carrying consequences and success receiving appropriate recognition.
An administrator should not be able to preside over years of decline and simply return at the next election promising another “new beginning” without being judged on what happened during the previous tenure.
10. Build an NFF That Can Make Money
This could ultimately determine whether the other reforms succeed. Nigeria cannot build a world-class football system by depending largely on government intervention, and the NFF must become far more aggressive in developing its commercial potential.
Broadcast rights, digital platforms, merchandising, sponsorship packages, international partnerships, licensing, hospitality and other commercial opportunities should be developed as sustainable revenue streams.
Nigeria has millions of football supporters across Africa, Europe, North America and other parts of the world, and that enormous audience represents an economic asset that has not been fully converted into sustainable football revenue.
Who Can Lead the Reset?
With Gusau gone and the future of the September 27 elective congress thrown into uncertainty, attention has naturally shifted towards possible successors and individuals who could play a role in an interim or normalisation arrangement.
It is important to stress that being mentioned in reports does not mean that any of these individuals has been formally nominated, appointed or confirmed as the next NFF president.
Among the names attracting attention are Kunle Soname, Segun Odegbami, Michael Emenalo, Seyi Olofinjana and former NFF president Amaju Pinnick.
Amaju Pinnick: Experience With a Question Mark
Former NFF president Amaju Pinnick inevitably enters the conversation because he understands the federation from the inside and possesses considerable international football experience. He served as NFF president from 2014 to 2022 and subsequently held prominent positions within CAF and FIFA structures.
His international exposure and relationships within global football remain valuable assets, particularly for a country seeking greater influence within CAF and FIFA.
However, experience can also become a double-edged sword because any return would inevitably revive debate over the strengths and weaknesses of his previous administration, including Nigeria’s failure to qualify for the 2022 World Cup.
Pinnick therefore brings institutional knowledge and international contacts, but any possible comeback would be subjected to intense scrutiny from football stakeholders.
Segun Odegbami: The Vocal Reformer
Segun Odegbami’s credentials require little introduction. The former Green Eagles captain was part of Nigeria’s historic 1980 Africa Cup of Nations-winning team and has remained one of the country’s most outspoken football voices decades after his playing career.
His strongest asset in the current debate is not merely his football pedigree but his willingness to question the structure of Nigerian football administration.
Odegbami has openly criticised aspects of the NFF electoral process and called for deeper reforms, ensuring that the current debate goes beyond the identity of the person who eventually occupies the Glass House.
Whether he ultimately seeks the presidency or continues advocating institutional reform, his intervention has added an important dimension to the national conversation.
Kunle Soname: The Private-Sector Football Builder
Kunle Soname presents perhaps one of the strongest arguments for introducing a commercially driven approach to the NFF. His experience goes beyond football politics, having built a major business empire while investing substantially in the Nigerian football ecosystem.
Soname is the proprietor of Remo Stars, who won their maiden NPFL championship in the 2024/25 season, while his Beyond Limits project has also been associated with youth development.
His investment in Portuguese club CD Feirense has given him exposure to European football administration, while his wider business background could bring a commercial mindset to an organisation desperately in need of new revenue streams.
His major challenge, however, is that successfully running a football club is not the same thing as running a national federation.
The NFF president must manage competing interests involving government, clubs, players, coaches, states, FIFA, CAF and other stakeholders, making the national position considerably more complex.
Michael Emenalo: The Technical Professional
Michael Emenalo may offer one of the most interesting alternatives to Nigeria’s traditional football-politics model.
A former Super Eagles defender, Emenalo moved into elite football administration after his playing career and built an impressive résumé in European and Middle Eastern football.
His experience with Chelsea, AS Monaco and the Saudi Pro League has exposed him to scouting, recruitment, technical management, player development and international football business.
That background makes him particularly attractive to those seeking an NFF run more like a modern football institution than a conventional political federation.
His challenge would be whether he wants to return to Nigeria and immerse himself in the enormous political, administrative and stakeholder demands associated with the NFF presidency.
Seyi Olofinjana: The New Generation Option
Former Super Eagles midfielder Seyi Olofinjana is another name worth watching in any discussion about the future direction of Nigerian football. His post-playing career has included football-development and administrative roles in Europe, while his involvement with Imperial FC has given him experience in youth development.
Olofinjana represents a potential bridge between Nigeria’s celebrated generation of former international players and the modern football-business environment.
His relative youth and exposure to European football structures could also appeal to stakeholders seeking a generational change, although it remains uncertain whether he would want to enter the intensely political world of NFF administration.
What Nigeria Must Not Do
Nigeria must resist the temptation to replace one set of administrators with another while leaving the system untouched.
A new president cannot succeed if the same opaque structures remain, just as a former footballer cannot automatically become a competent administrator simply because he was a great player.
Similarly, a businessman cannot automatically run a national federation simply because he successfully manages a football club, while a politician cannot become a football reformer merely because he possesses the ability to win an election.
The next NFF leadership must therefore be a team built around competence rather than a personality cult.
The president should be surrounded by professionals in finance, law, marketing, commercialisation, technical development, women’s football, grassroots development, infrastructure and international relations.
That is the structure required if Nigeria wants a football federation capable of competing administratively with the best in the world.
The Glass Hoise Needs More Than a News Tenant
Gusau’s resignation has created uncertainty, but it has also created an opportunity that Nigerian football cannot afford to waste. The NFF Congress has been summoned for an emergency meeting following the resignations, while the federation’s previously scheduled elective process has been thrown into uncertainty.
The immediate temptation will be to focus on who replaces Gusau, but that would be looking at the crisis from the wrong end. Nigeria should instead use this transition to ask what must fundamentally change before another administration takes control.
If the country simply organises another election, distributes positions and celebrates a new president, it may only be postponing the next crisis.
But if this moment is used to strengthen accountability, professionalise administration, rebuild the domestic leagues, protect players’ rights, improve commercialisation and establish a genuine national football development plan, the current upheaval could become the beginning of a new era.
Nigeria has repeatedly demonstrated that it can produce footballers capable of competing with the world’s best. What it has struggled to demonstrate consistently is that it can build and maintain an institution capable of supporting those players.
That is the challenge before whoever eventually takes charge of the NFF. Nigeria does not merely need a new NFF president. It needs a new NFF culture, a new management philosophy and a system designed to make failure increasingly difficult and sustained success increasingly inevitable.
The next occupant of the Glass House should not simply inherit it. The person should be prepared to rebuild it.
-Trendscopenews
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