FIFA, CAF Face Off Over Conflicting Proposals For NFF Reform

FIFA and the Confederation of African Football (CAF) have concluded a two-day assessment mission into the crisis within the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), with conflicting proposals from key stakeholders now before the football governing bodies.

According to reports, the assessment ended on Tuesday, September 15, following the mass resignation of NFF President Ibrahim Gusau, General Secretary Mohammed Sanusi and other board members on August 27.

The leadership crisis emerged amid concerns over the performances of Nigeria’s national and youth teams, including their failure to qualify for their respective World Cups.

The FIFA and CAF delegation included FIFA Member Association Governance Services team lead Ahmed Harraz, FIFA Head of Member Association Governance Rolf Tanner, FIFA Regional Office for West Africa lead El Hadj Wack Diop and CAF Legal Manager Nnaemeka Olu.

During the mission, the delegation held consultations with several stakeholders within Nigerian football, including players’ representatives, coaches, referees and members of the Sports Writers Association of Nigeria (SWAN).

Players’ representatives, coaches and referees reportedly supported a normalisation process and called for equal representation across the NFF Congress, board, standing committees and voting structures.

One participant at the consultations said the groups agreed that players, coaches and referees should have equal representation in the proposed governing structure, while also supporting a stakeholder-driven normalisation process.

However, state Football Association chairmen, who constitute a significant portion of the NFF Congress and its voting bloc, rejected the proposal for a normalisation committee.

The state FA chairmen argued that the existing NFF Congress has the authority to resolve the leadership vacuum within the federation.

Gombe State FA chairman and leader of the state FA delegation, Yakubu Sarma, said Nigerian football was not experiencing a crisis that required intervention outside the existing framework.

“The key issue we presented before FIFA as Congress members representing the FAs is that Nigerian football is not in crisis,” Sarma said, adding that the leagues, clubs and national teams continued to operate while the NFF Secretariat remained functional.

“We don’t need to go outside the established framework to start bringing about a solution,” he added.

Meanwhile, former NFF presidents and general secretaries have submitted a separate proposal to the FIFA and CAF delegation calling for the immediate establishment of a six-month normalisation committee.

Former NFF presidents Sani Lulu Abdullahi and Aminu Maigari, former first vice-president Obinna Ogba, and former general secretaries Fanny Amun, Sani Toro, Bolaji Ojo-Oba and Musa Amadu were among those who endorsed the proposal.

The former officials proposed a structured transition beginning with consultations among stakeholders, followed by local football council elections, State FA elections, an expanded NFF Congress and, eventually, national NFF elections.

They also called for changes to the composition of the NFF Congress, arguing that State FAs currently control about 84 per cent of the voting power.

The former officials proposed increased representation for leagues, players, coaches, referees and grassroots football organisations in the federation’s governing structures.

FIFA and CAF are now expected to consider the various positions presented by stakeholders as they determine the next steps regarding the NFF leadership crisis and proposed reforms.