The crisis rocking Nigerian football has deepened following the resignation of Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) President Ibrahim Gusau and other board members amid mounting pressure over the management of the country’s football and an ongoing probe into a N17 billion Federal Government intervention fund.
At least eight of the 13 members of the NFF board are reportedly no longer in office, further weakening the federation’s leadership ahead of the September 27 elections scheduled to hold in Lafia, Nasarawa State.
The NFF board had come under intense criticism following a series of setbacks involving Nigeria’s national teams, with the latest being the historic failure of the Super Falcons to qualify for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup.
The Falcons lost 1-0 to Cameroon in the quarter-finals of the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON), ending their title defence and denying them automatic qualification for the World Cup.
Nigeria’s hopes were subsequently ended when South Africa’s Banyana Banyana defeated the Falcons 2-1 in the World Cup qualification playoff.
The defeat means Nigeria will miss the FIFA Women’s World Cup for the first time since the tournament began in 1991.
The development has intensified calls for accountability and reform within Nigerian football, coming amid the Super Eagles’ successive failures to qualify for the FIFA World Cup.
DSS Probes N17bn NFF Fund
The Department of State Services (DSS) has joined other security agencies in investigating the utilisation of the N17 billion intervention fund released to the NFF by the Federal Government.
The fund was approved by President Bola Tinubu in 2024 to clear outstanding wages, bonuses and other financial obligations owed to Nigeria’s national teams.
An authoritative source said security operatives were examining documents relating to the funds released to the federation.
“It’s a normal thing for DSS to go through all documents relating to the funds released to them,” the source said, dismissing concerns that the investigation amounted to a witch hunt.
The probe has further increased pressure on the NFF leadership amid persistent public concerns over transparency and the administration of Nigeria’s national football teams.
The resignations could also affect the federation’s scheduled September 27 elections in Lafia and create uncertainty around the transition to a new NFF board.
