NFF President Gusau Resigns as Entire Board Steps Down After Nigeria Misses Both World Cups

Nigerian football was thrown into fresh uncertainty on Thursday after Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) President Ibrahim Musa Gusau resigned from office, with the federation’s Executive Committee and General Secretary, Dr Mohammed Sanusi, also stepping down.

The dramatic development came after a difficult period for Nigerian football, marked by the failure of the country’s senior men’s and women’s teams to qualify for their respective FIFA World Cups, alongside setbacks involving the nation’s youth teams.

Gusau announced his resignation at a press conference held at the NFF’s Sunday Dankaro Secretariat in Abuja, saying the decision was taken in the interest of Nigerian football following what he described as an unprecedented crisis.

The NFF subsequently confirmed that Gusau, the Executive Committee and General Secretary Sanusi had resigned.

Gusau, who became NFF president in September 2022, said he had informed members of the board of his decision and advised those who were prepared to follow his example to also step aside.

The resignation has immediately raised questions about the future of the federation and the elective congress scheduled for September 27, 2026, in Lafia, Nasarawa State.

The crisis intensified after the Super Falcons failed to qualify for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Brazil.

Nigeria had appeared at every edition of the Women’s World Cup since the inaugural tournament in 1991. That remarkable 35-year run has now come to an end after the Falcons suffered a 1–0 defeat to Cameroon in the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations quarter-final before losing 2–1 to South Africa in the World Cup play-off.

The disappointing campaign resulted in the dismissal of coach Justine Madugu and his technical team.

The Super Eagles had already suffered another major setback after failing to qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Nigeria lost to the Democratic Republic of Congo on penalties in the African play-off, meaning the men’s national team will miss a second consecutive World Cup after also failing to qualify for Qatar 2022.

Nigeria’s struggles have extended to the youth levels.

The Flying Eagles lost 4–1 to Burkina Faso in the WAFU B U-20 final on August 9, a result that left Nigeria outside the qualification pathway for the 2027 U-20 Africa Cup of Nations and, consequently, the 2027 FIFA U-20 World Cup under the current allocation system.

The Golden Eaglets have also endured a difficult period, having missed three consecutive FIFA U-17 World Cups after failing to reach the 2026 U-17 Africa Cup of Nations.

The combined failures have intensified scrutiny of the NFF’s administration, player development structures, funding and national-team management.

Reports circulating online initially suggested that Gusau and 13 members of the NFF board had resigned. However, the federation’s official position is broader, stating that the president, Executive Committee as a body and General Secretary had stepped down.

Sanusi had separately confirmed his resignation earlier on Thursday.

The latest development follows a fact-finding exercise already commissioned by the NFF. A six-member committee headed by former national-team player and ambassador Fanny Amun was inaugurated in August to examine issues surrounding the country’s national teams.

The committee’s report, dated August 21, reportedly identified problems including difficulties at training camps, administrative weaknesses and shortcomings in player development.

Punch subsequently reported that the document also contained allegations that some officials influenced invitations to national-team camps in exchange for money. Those allegations have not been established as proven wrongdoing, and the wider investigation and any official findings remain important in determining responsibility.

The political and administrative tension surrounding Nigerian football had also been growing before Thursday’s resignations.

Former Super Eagles media officer Colin Udoh said a senior official of the National Sports Commission viewed the resignations as an initial step towards restructuring the NFF. However, that should not be treated as a formal directive from the commission.

The National Sports Commission had previously denied reports that the Federal Government gave the NFF board a 24-hour ultimatum to resign.

Relations between the Shehu Dikko-led National Sports Commission and the Gusau-led NFF administration had been strained over issues including funding and control of football administration.

The NFF’s leadership crisis is also unfolding against the background of a ₦17 billion federal intervention approved in 2024 to address outstanding national-team obligations.

There have been reports that security and financial crime agencies, including the Department of State Services and Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, have sought information concerning the use of the funds. However, no comprehensive public finding from the agencies had been released in the reports reviewed.

With the NFF leadership now stepping down, attention is turning to what happens next.

The proposed September 27 elective congress in Lafia could face uncertainty as Nigerian football authorities consider how to manage the transition and whether a normalisation arrangement will be required.

Any major restructuring of the federation will also have to take into account the requirements of international football’s governing body, FIFA, which generally expects national football associations to operate independently from government interference.

For Nigerian football fans, the immediate concern is bigger than the fate of individual officials.

The country has gone from being a regular presence at major international tournaments to missing both senior World Cups in the same cycle, while its youth teams have also suffered significant qualification setbacks.

Gusau’s departure therefore marks the beginning of a new chapter for the NFF—but it also leaves the federation facing one of the biggest rebuilding challenges in its history.

The question now is not simply who will lead the NFF, but whether the next leadership can restore confidence, strengthen football development and return Nigeria’s national teams to the world’s biggest stages.