ABUJA, Aug. 27 , 2026, President of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), Alhaji Ibrahim Musa Gusau, and the federation’s General Secretary, Dr Mohammed Sanusi, on Thursday resigned from their positions amid public dissatisfaction over the recent poor performances of Nigeria’s national teams.
It was also learnt that members of the NFF Executive Committee had resigned from their positions.
Gusau’s resignation came 34 days before the expiration of his four-year tenure, which began after his election at the NFF Annual General Assembly in Benin City, Edo, on Sept. 30, 2022.
Gusau cites need for reforms
Gusau said his decision followed consultations with his family, friends and stakeholders in the football community.
He said he had also communicated the decision to members of the Executive Committee, adding that he acted after careful consideration and in the overriding interest of Nigerian football.
“My resignation is intended to give way to a comprehensive and orderly reform process aimed at addressing the longstanding institutional, governance and developmental challenges confronting Nigerian football,” he said.
Speaking at a news conference at the NFF Secretariat in Abuja, Gusau, who also serves as President of WAFU B, said he was leaving office satisfied with some of the achievements recorded by his administration.
He listed renewed focus on coaching education, saying the federation had organised courses in virtually all licence categories.
According to him, the long-awaited CAF A-License course is scheduled to begin on Sept. 13.
Gusau also cited improved stability in the domestic league calendar, progress in the refereeing sector and infrastructure development.
He said the projects included a 68-room Players’ Hostel and new training pitches at the MKO Abiola National Stadium, Abuja.
Furthermore, he listed the Super Eagles’ silver and bronze medals from the last two Africa Cup of Nations tournaments and the Super Falcons’ victory at the 2025 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco among the administration’s achievements.
However, the NFF leadership came under intense pressure following a series of disappointing results by Nigeria’s national teams.
The latest setback was the Super Falcons’ failure to qualify for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup, marking Nigeria’s first absence from the competition since its inception in China 35 years ago.
The development followed the Super Eagles’ failure to qualify for the 48-team 2026 FIFA World Cup hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico.
The U-20 men’s national team also failed to qualify for next year’s Africa U-20 Cup of Nations, adding to public concerns over the state of Nigerian football.
