AFCON 2025
The Nigeria Football Federation has moved to debunk a fake letter circulating in parts of the media, which had been falsely attributed to FIFA amid the federation’s ongoing leadership reforms. In a statement posted on its official X account, the NFF dismissed the document outright, stating that it “has debunked news of a ‘letter’ circulating in sections of the media as being from world-football governing body, FIFA,” adding plainly, “It is totally fake.”
The federation used the statement to clarify FIFA’s actual position on recent developments within Nigerian football administration. According to the NFF, “FIFA has already accepted the resignations of former principal officers and Members of the NFF Exco,” confirming that the global governing body has formally acknowledged the departures at the top of the federation.
The NFF also revealed that discussions on the country’s football reform process remain active across multiple stakeholders. The federation said “mutual engagement between the NSC, NFF administration, CAF is ongoing with FIFA on the comprehensive reforms of Nigerian football, including agreeing a road map going forward in accordance to the relevant rules, books and statutes.”
The clarification comes weeks after Ibrahim Gusau resigned as NFF president on August 27, alongside general secretary Mohammed Sanusi, following sustained pressure from the National Sports Commission and the federal government. President Bola Ahmed Tinubu had earlier ordered a comprehensive reform of Nigerian football administration after a series of qualification failures across the country’s national teams.
Nigerian football has endured a turbulent year on the pitch, with the Super Eagles missing out on the 2026 FIFA World Cup following a playoff defeat to DR Congo, and the Super Falcons suffering an early exit at the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations before missing the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup for the first time since the tournament began. The Flying Eagles also failed to qualify for the U-20 Africa Cup of Nations, cutting short Nigeria’s route to the U-20 World Cup.
With FIFA, CAF, and the NSC now working alongside NFF administration on a formal reform road map, the process is expected to shape how the federation transitions to new leadership and restructures its governance framework in the coming months.
