Nigeria's football at historic low

Both the men's Super Eagles and women's Super Falcons failed to qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, marking what former Afcon winner Segun Odegbami calls the worst period in Nigerian football history.

“It has never been this bad in our entire history that we didn't qualify for the World Cup”

Crisis extends beyond senior teams

Youth teams are underperforming across age groups, and the domestic league generates insufficient revenue. Only the Under-20 Women's team recently reached the quarter-finals of their World Cup.

“Our local league is not bringing in money. Something is definitely wrong.”

NFF leadership resigns en masse

President Ibrahim Gusau, general secretary Mohammed Sanusi, and multiple executive committee members resigned last month following public outcry and pressure from President Bola Tinubu for reforms.

Interim leadership appointed

Emmanuel Ikpeme became interim general secretary and Ademola Olajire interim deputy general secretary. NFF elections scheduled for 27 September have been suspended pending reforms.

FIFA and CAF involved in reform

World governing body FIFA and the Confederation of African Football are working with Nigeria's National Sports Commission to develop a roadmap for comprehensive structural reforms.

Reform must be structural

Journalist Fisayo Dairo argues that change must include proper governance frameworks, grassroots talent development, and corporate sector involvement to generate sustainable funding.

“The reform should be the setting up of a proper framework and structure that our football can thrive on”

Odegbami's 1980 glory days

Nicknamed 'Mathematical' for his precision, Odegbami scored 23 goals in 47 appearances and was named in the tournament team when Nigeria won its first Afcon in 1980, beating Algeria 3-0 in Lagos.

“That experience you can't even describe and compare. It remains indelible in our minds.”

Poor governance since mid-1990s

Odegbami blames football administrators for failing to establish coaching methodology, philosophy, and culture. He says successive governments have not prioritized sport, affecting grassroots development and player academies.

“The pilots are not guiding us well, they haven't guided us well”

Historic stadiums left to decay

Nigeria's once-world-class facilities including the National Stadium in Lagos, Liberty Stadium in Ibadan, and Ahmadu Bello Stadium in Kaduna have fallen into disrepair. The current best venue, Godswill Akpabio Stadium in Uyo, is inferior to facilities from the 1960s-1990s.

“I weep when I think of the amount of damage they have done to Nigerian football”

Other African nations investing heavily

While Nigeria's infrastructure decays, Senegal hosts the Youth Olympic Games, South Africa-Zimbabwe-Namibia host the men's Cricket World Cup, Kenya will stage the World Athletics Championship in 2029, and Morocco co-hosts the 2030 World Cup.