The governance future of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) leadership could be heading for a major shake-up in September, with renowned Nigerian football journalist Osasu Obayiuwana suggesting that the days of NFF president Ibrahim Gusau, his executive committee and general secretary Mohammed Sanusi may be numbered.
Obayiuwana, who has closely followed developments surrounding Nigerian football, disclosed on Tuesday that he had spoken with an insider at the National Sports Commission (NSC) and was given an indication that significant changes could be coming to the country’s football administration.
“Having had a chat with a National Sports Commission insider, it appears that the governance days for the current NFF president, the executive committee, as well as Dr Mohammed Sanusi General the secretary-general Nigeria Football Federation are truly numbered,” Obayiuwana wrote on X.
He added a striking message from his source: “No one can fight Nigeria government. What is going to happen will happen. We know how it will be executed.”
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The post comes at a particularly tense moment for Nigerian football, with the relationship between the NFF and the NSC coming under increasing scrutiny following a series of setbacks involving the national teams and the federation’s leadership.
The Super Falcons’ disappointing campaign at the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco has intensified the pressure. Nigeria failed to reach the final after losing to South Africa in the quarter-finals, a result that also ended their automatic route to the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup.
The fallout from that campaign has already reached the technical bench, with the NFF Executive Committee directing members of the Super Falcons’ technical crew to step down with immediate effect.
The federation is also facing uncertainty over its own leadership process after the NFF election was cancelled, while reports have emerged that the NSC could be considering the establishment of a Normalisation Committee to oversee the affairs of the football body.
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Those developments have fuelled growing calls from sections of the Nigerian football community for the Gusau-led NFF board to resign, particularly amid wider concerns over the country’s failure to qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup and the perceived decline in the performance of its national teams.
At the moment neither the NSC nor the NFF has officially announced any move to remove or replace the federation’s leadership. But Obayiuwana’s message has added another layer to an already tense football governance crisis.
“This is going to be a September to remember. Stay tuned,” he concluded.
If the developments outlined by the journalist’s source materialise, September could become a defining month for the future structure and leadership of Nigerian football.
