Gusau confirms resignation as NFF president

ABUJA — President of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), Alhaji Ibrahim Gusau, has confirmed his resignation from office, bringing his tenure as the head of the country’s football governing body to an end.

Gusau officially announced his resignation on Thursday at a press conference in Abuja, amid mounting pressure over the recent fortunes of Nigeria’s national teams.

His announcement followed reports that he and members of the NFF Executive Committee had resigned from their positions.

The development comes against the backdrop of growing concerns over Nigeria’s poor performances in international football.

The Super Eagles failed to qualify for the 2022 and 2026 FIFA World Cups, while the Super Falcons recently suffered a major setback by failing to qualify for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Brazil.

Nigeria’s age-grade teams have also endured disappointing results, with the Golden Eaglets failing to qualify for the FIFA U-17 World Cup for three consecutive editions despite being the most successful team in the history of the competition, with five titles.

The country’s Olympic football team, the Dream Team, has similarly struggled to regain the prominence it enjoyed after winning the gold medal at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics.

The string of setbacks had intensified calls from football stakeholders and supporters for changes in the administration of the game and a fresh approach to developing the national teams.

Gusau’s resignation also comes amid an emergency meeting of the NFF Congress convened to deliberate on the crisis within the federation.

The proposed agenda for the meeting includes the current developments within the NFF, the status and functioning of the Executive Committee and Secretariat, and the implications for the governance, stability and independence of the federation.

The Congress is also expected to consider appropriate measures under the NFF, Confederation of African Football (CAF) and FIFA statutes before determining the way forward.

Gusau’s resignation is expected to usher in a new phase for Nigerian football, with stakeholders likely to focus on stabilising the federation and rebuilding the country’s national teams.

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