Former President of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), Ibrahim Gusau, has defended his nearly four-year stewardship of Nigerian football, highlighting reforms in coaching education, domestic leagues, refereeing and national teams before announcing that he voluntarily resigned from office.
Gusau said his three years and 11 months as NFF president produced achievements that he believes Nigerians and the global football community can recognise despite the challenges faced by the federation.
Speaking on Thursday during a press conference on his administration’s record, the former NFF boss said significant progress was made in coaching development across the country.
He said the federation successfully organised CAF C Licence, CAF B Licence and coaching instructors’ courses, adding that preparations had been concluded for the commencement of the CAF A Licence course on September 16.
According to him, the CAF A Licence programme has not been organised in Nigeria for about eight years. “Before we came on board, you know where we were on the issue of coaching training,” Gusau said.
“Now, in all categories of coaching training, we were able to achieve it. The last model we are going to do is the CAF A Licence training, which has not been taking place for the past eight years.”
Gusau also pointed to what he described as the stabilisation of Nigeria’s domestic football leagues, particularly the Nigeria Premier Football League.
He said uncertainty over fixtures and the inability to maintain a predictable league calendar had previously affected the country’s domestic competitions.
The former NFF president, however, said his administration ensured that the league started and ended according to an agreed schedule.
He said the competitiveness of the most recent league season, which was decided on the final day, demonstrated the progress made in improving the organisation and credibility of domestic football.
Gusau said the battle for the title went down to the wire, with football fans across the country following developments from different match venues before the eventual winner emerged.
He also listed refereeing development as another major area of focus during his administration.
According to him, the NFF introduced and developed younger referees in an effort to improve Nigeria’s representation in continental and global football competitions.
Gusau noted that Nigerian referees have recently featured prominently at major CAF competitions, including youth and women’s tournaments held in Morocco.
He said one Nigerian referee officiated in a semi-final at the Under-17 Africa Cup of Nations, while another was involved in a semi-final match at the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations.
“We are making progress,” he said, expressing confidence that Nigeria would soon have more regular representation at the highest levels of international refereeing.
Gusau added that infrastructure remained one of the biggest challenges facing Nigerian football, noting that the development and maintenance of sporting facilities required sustained investment.
The former NFF boss also reflected on his achievements beyond Nigeria, including his leadership role in the West African Football Union.
He said he had the opportunity to serve as president of the regional football body, which comprises seven countries, including several French-speaking nations.
The position also gave him an opportunity to serve on the executive committee of the Confederation of African Football.
Gusau further recalled the performances of Nigeria’s senior national teams during his time in office.
He pointed to the Super Eagles’ silver-medal finish at the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations in Cote d’Ivoire, describing the team’s performance as a moment that united Nigerians.
He said the players received recognition and rewards from the Federal Government following their return from the tournament.
The former NFF president also celebrated the success of the Super Falcons, who won another Women’s Africa Cup of Nations title in Morocco.
According to him, the achievements of the women’s national team contributed to greater recognition and rewards for female footballers, including houses and other honours.
Gusau also defended the decision to appoint the Super Eagles’ coach, Eric Chelle, saying the move initially attracted criticism from football stakeholders and the media.
He said the federation remained patient with the coach and allowed the team time to develop.
Gusau said the improvement in the Super Eagles later generated renewed optimism among Nigerians.
“People have seen hope in the team. People have seen improvement in the team,” he said.
However, he acknowledged the disappointments suffered by some of Nigeria’s national teams, including failures to qualify for major competitions.
He said the setbacks generated widespread criticism and renewed calls for changes in the administration of Nigerian football.
Gusau said that after consultations with family members, friends and football stakeholders, he concluded that resigning from his position was in the interest of the country and the progress of Nigerian football.
“Nobody is better than this country. We all love our country, and we all love the progress of our country,” he said.
He disclosed that he personally decided to step down as NFF President and subsequently advised members of the federation’s Executive Committee who wished to follow him to also resign.
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Gusau, however, said he could not confirm the number of NFF board members who had submitted their resignations.
“I decided to resign my position as President of the NFF,” he said.
“I informed them and advised them that anybody who would follow me should also resign. But as I am talking to you, I cannot tell who and how many members of the NFF board have resigned because they have not communicated their resignations to me.”
The former NFF President expressed gratitude to Nigerians and football stakeholders for giving him the opportunity to serve the country.
He said he remained proud of the progress recorded during his tenure and expressed confidence that the reforms and investments made in coaching, refereeing and domestic football would continue to benefit Nigerian football in the years ahead.
