NFF Crisis: Good News for Nigerian Football, Says Adesina Ayooluwa
The sweeping resignations at the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) have been welcomed by sections of the country’s football community, with broadcaster and NPFL commentator Daniel Adesina Ayooluwa describing the development as a possible turning point for the sport.
Speaking exclusively to The BAC Sports, Ayooluwa said the departure of the NFF President, Ibrahim Gusau, General Secretary Mohammed Sanusi and several members of the executive committee could provide Nigerian football with an opportunity to begin again.
“For me, from the standpoint of a fan and journalist, it appears to be a breath of fresh air,” Ayooluwa told The BAC Sports.
His comments reflect the growing frustration among Nigerian football followers, who have watched the country struggle across different levels of the game in recent years.
Ayooluwa argued that the problems have not been limited to the senior national teams, insisting that Nigerian football has experienced difficult periods even at age-grade level.
“Gross incompetency has characterized the administration of Nigeria’s football and a change was needed,” he said, highlighting the need for a different approach to the management of the game.
He added that the reaction from Nigerian football lovers has largely been positive, with supporters upbeat about the leadership changes after what they have endured over the past four years.
Failures Beyond World Cup Qualification
Nigeria’s recent inability to qualify for the FIFA World Cup has become one of the major sources of criticism directed at the country’s football administration.
The Super Eagles missed the 2026 World Cup, while the women’s national team also failed to secure qualification, further intensifying the debate surrounding the state of Nigerian football.
Ayooluwa acknowledged that Nigeria’s World Cup struggles did not begin with the current leadership. The country famously missed the 2018 tournament as well, but he believes the wider decline has reached an unusually low point.
“Some would say it didn’t start with him. Nigeria didn’t make it to the World Cup in 2018, but the country hasn’t dipped to such a level in a long, long time, with the football they very much love,” he said.
For the broadcaster, the issue goes beyond isolated tournament failures. He believes the decline in performances and administration has affected the connection between Nigerian supporters and the country’s football.
Pressure Had Been Building
Ayooluwa also revealed that the latest resignations followed weeks of mounting pressure and rumours surrounding the NFF leadership.
“The rumours didn’t start today. About a few weeks ago, it just snowballed onto this stage,” he explained.
According to him, bodies responsible for oversight of the NFF were also pushing for changes to the federation’s leadership and operations. He further noted that questions surrounding the federation’s finances had formed part of the wider concerns, although he did not present the rumours as established findings of wrongdoing.
Ayooluwa claimed that more than half of the NFF’s 13-member executive committee had already decided that their time was effectively coming to an end before the public resignation announcement.
The next major step is expected to be the installation of a normalisation committee to oversee the federation before fresh elections.
The NFF elections were originally scheduled for September, but Ayooluwa said there are strong indications that the timetable could be pushed back because of the leadership crisis.
With Nigerian football now entering another period of uncertainty, the immediate challenge will be ensuring that the transition produces more than a change in personnel. For Ayooluwa and many supporters, the real test will be whether the next leadership can restore confidence and reverse what he considers a prolonged decline in Nigerian football.