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By Joe Apu and Olarenwaju Agiri
Nigerian football stakeholders have welcomed the resignation of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) leadership, framing it as a long-awaited opportunity to rebuild the federation on more democratic and transparent lines while cautioning that the real work is only beginning.
NFF President Ibrahim Musa Gusau confirmed his resignation at a press conference in Abuja on Thursday, a decision the federation said was meant to allow for a “comprehensive and orderly reform process” to tackle deep-seated governance and developmental problems. The NFF later announced that General Secretary Mohammed Sanusi and the rest of the Executive Committee had also stepped down.
Reacting to the news, football stakeholder Prince Harrison Jalla described the resignations as a win for Nigerian football and called for a normalisation committee to be set up with credible figures to chart a way forward. He thanked those who had joined his campaign for change, but stressed that the fight is not finished.
“The NFF congress and Executive Committee, he said, must now be democratically elected with equal representation for all federating units, and the process should be opened up to private-sector participation. Once the federation itself is on solid footing, he added, attention should turn to inaugurating the board of the National Sports Commission, with the overarching goal of finally getting sport to work for Nigerians.”
The Super Eagles Supporters Club struck a similar note, calling for unity, inclusiveness and renewed commitment to the game. In a statement, club president Prince Vincent Okumagba called the shake-up a “significant development” and wished the outgoing officials well, while urging supporters and stakeholders to focus on restoring Nigerian football’s fortunes rather than dwelling on recriminations against the departed administration. “As supporters and stakeholders, our greatest desire is to see Nigerian football thrive and regain its rightful place on the global stage,” he said.
The reactions come after a punishing stretch for the national teams. The Super Eagles missed out on the 2026 FIFA World Cup after a penalty-shootout loss to the Democratic Republic of Congo in the African play-off — their second straight absence from the tournament. The Super Falcons’ misfortune was arguably worse: after being knocked out in the quarter-finals of the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations by Cameroon, they lost 2-1 to South Africa in the World Cup qualification play-off, ending a run of appearances at every Women’s World Cup since the competition’s inception in 1991.
Even so, Okumagba insisted the talent and passion to turn things around remain, and he pressed the incoming leadership to ensure “the full participation and inclusion of all recognised supporters groups” as the sport moves forward — a nod to the role fan organisations have long played in sustaining public support through lean periods.
The upheaval lands just weeks ahead of the NFF’s scheduled elective congress, which is meant to usher in a new Executive Committee for the next four-year term. Candidate screening was already set for late August, with cleared candidates to be published in September ahead of a vote in Lafia on September 27.
Whether this moment becomes another false start or the beginning of genuine reform will hinge on what happens next — but for now, stakeholders like Jalla and Okumagba are united in demanding that this chance not be wasted.
