Reported by: Oahimire Omone Precious | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
The Nigeria Football Federation is in turmoil. Its President, Ibrahim Musa Gusau, and General Secretary, Dr Mohammed Sanusi, have both resigned. The move comes just weeks before the federation's elective congress, scheduled for September 27 in Lafia, Nasarawa State. Multiple sources confirmed the development on Thursday, August 27, 2026.
Sanusi himself confirmed the resignations. "Yes, the news about the resignation of the president and myself is true," he told Daily Sunspots. He did not give further details. Gusau, however, had earlier told journalists he was not under pressure. That was before the news of his resignation broke.
The pressure on the NFF leadership has been building for months. The Super Falcons, Nigeria's women's national team, failed to qualify for the 2027 FIFA Women's World Cup for the first time in the tournament's history. They lost 1-0 to Cameroon in the quarter-finals of the 2026 Women's Africa Cup of Nations and then fell 2-1 to South Africa in a playoff. That failure sparked public outrage.
The men's team, the Super Eagles, also missed the 2026 FIFA World Cup. It was the second consecutive World Cup they failed to qualify for. Former Super Eagles captain John Obi Mikel had publicly called for changes in the NFF leadership.
There is also a financial scandal. The Department of State Services has been investigating the NFF over the use of a N17 billion intervention fund approved by President Bola Tinubu in 2024. The fund was meant to clear outstanding payments owed to national team players and officials. Security agents have questioned top NFF officials about how the money was spent.
The crisis has been building for a while. The NFF and the National Sports Commission, led by Shehu Dikko, have been at odds. The Sports Commission reportedly starved the federation of funds. That made it hard for the NFF to run national teams and competitions.
The resignations are unprecedented. It is the first time in Nigerian football history that both the president and general secretary have resigned at the same time. Eight of the 13 NFF executive committee members had already resigned earlier. That leaves the federation in a leadership vacuum.
The September 27 congress in Lafia is now in doubt. The same administration that organised the election has collapsed. It is not clear if the election will still hold. It is also not clear if Lafia will still host it. The NFF Congress has called an emergency meeting in Abuja to discuss the situation.
For now, Nigerian football is waiting. The resignations of Gusau and Sanusi mark a major shake-up. But whether this leads to real reform or just more chaos remains to be seen.
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