The leadership of the Nigeria Football Federation, NFF, has been given 24 hours to resign by the National Sports Commission, NSC, following mounting anger over the administration of Nigerian football. The ultimatum, reported Wednesday, comes in the wake of historic setbacks for the country’s national teams and renewed accusations of maladministration against the Glass House.
The NSC’s reported action is tied directly to Nigeria’s recent failures on the international stage. For the second consecutive edition, the Super Eagles failed to qualify for the FIFA World Cup after losing to DR Congo on penalties in the African play-off final in November 2025. In a first for the country, the Super Falcons also missed out on the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup, meaning Nigeria will be absent from both the men’s and women’s World Cups at the same time. For a nation that has long expected both senior teams at global tournaments, the double failure has become a major talking point.
Beyond results on the pitch, the NFF board led by Ibrahim Gusau is facing serious allegations. Stakeholders have accused the federation of maladministration, misappropriation, and misjudgment in the running of the game. Former NFF Vice President Chief Gabriel Chukwuma publicly called for the entire board to resign, arguing that “if they had gotten their acts together earlier, the Super Eagles would have qualified with ease”. He added that the current board had “through cluelessness reduced our male teams to minnows of African football”.
The frustration has spread across the football community. On social media and in interviews, fans and former players have demanded accountability. One supporter wrote that “the NFF President needs to tender a resignation letter before daybreak and NOT an apology letter”, while another described Gusau as “grossly incompetent”. Former international Abiodun Obafemi said he supports “any action that will bring good to the football house, even if it is an overhaul”, warning that Nigeria is “losing the respect that we had”.
Calls for a clean-up are not new. The Guild of Sports Editors previously advised NFF executive members to “resign honourably and give the game a chance to breathe” after the failure to qualify for Qatar 2022, citing “poor decision-making, dishonest deployment of men and materials, as well as avarice”. Commentators now argue that with elections less than two months away, attention must shift from the pitch to leadership reform.
As of press time, the NFF has not issued an official response to the NSC’s reported 24-hour ultimatum. With the elective congress approaching, stakeholders are demanding a total overhaul “from the lowest league to the national team”. Whether the current board will step aside or dig in remains to be seen, but pressure for accountability in Nigerian football has never been louder.
