Nigeria football chief resigns amid corruption probe

The president of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) resigned on Thursday, amid a corruption investigation and a string of poor results by the national teams of the country, including the failure of the women’s team to qualify for the 2027 World Cup.

Ibrahim Musa Gusau announced his resignation in Abuja, adding that he had advised other board members to also step down. Several NFF board members also resigned, according to local media reports.

The resignation comes a month before the NFF holds its general election.

Local media reported that the NFF is under investigation by Nigeria’s Department of State Services (DSS) over the alleged misuse of 17 billion naira (about $12.7 million), received from the government in 2024 to clear a backlog of payments owed to national team players and officials.

The latest controversy follows the Super Falcons’ failure to qualify for the 2027 Women’s World Cup. The defending African champions and 10-time Women’s Africa Cup of Nations winners crashed out in the quarter-finals before losing 2-1 to South Africa in the playoff. Nigeria will miss the global tournament for the first time since it began in 1991.

The men’s team, the Super Eagles, have also failed to qualify for the World Cup since their last appearance in 2018, missing out on the 2022 and 2026 tournaments.

Despite resigning, Gusau defended his record and blamed the economic hardship of the country and foreign exchange volatility for the financial difficulties faced by the organisation. He announced a partnership with Adidas that will provide Nigeria with $4.5 million in annual cash payments.

SOURCE: AFP