NFF President Gusau resigns amid football woes, cites achievements in refereeing, sponsorship drive

Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) president Ibrahim Gusau has resigned from his role amidst mounting criticism over the country's football administration. The announcement was made at a press conference in Abuja, just prior to the conclusion of his tenure. In his statement, Gusau revealed his intention to resign and urged his board members to follow suit.

This move comes at a time when the NFF is under intense scrutiny for its management of an £8.5m ($11m) Federal Government intervention fund, set aside to address wage and bonus arrears owed to members of the Nigerian national teams.

The resignation of Gusau follows a challenging period for Nigerian football, marked by significant setbacks for both the men's and women's senior teams in their quest for World Cup qualification. The Super Eagles failed to secure a spot in the 2026 men's tournament, while the Super Falcons' streak of appearing in every Women's World Cup since its inception in 1991 came to an end after missing out on automatic qualification and subsequently being eliminated in the playoffs.

Gusau, who was elected NFF president at the federation's 78th Elective Congress in September 2022, cited his desire to allow other Nigerians to contribute to football's development as the reason behind his decision. Despite the national teams' failure to qualify for the 2026 World Cups, Gusau maintained that he was leaving the federation in a stronger position than when he assumed office.

Gusau advised his board members to resign alongside him, although he was not aware of any board member who had complied with his request. As of now, the NFF has not announced plans for interim leadership following Gusau's resignation.