(Ibrahim Gusau. Photo by Instablog)
The president of Nigeria’s Football Federation and other board members have resigned after intense pressure over mismanagement.
The board faced scrutiny following the Super Falcons’ historic failure to qualify for the Women’s World Cup for the first time ever.
Eight out of thirteen board members had already stepped down before the remaining officials resigned.
The federation has been under investigation by security agencies over how it spent seventeen billion naira the president released in 2024 to pay players’ wages and bonuses.
The failures started piling up years ago.
The Super Eagles have missed consecutive World Cups
The Super Falcons lost to Cameroon in the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations quarter-finals, which knocked them out of automatic World Cup qualification.
They then lost to South Africa in a playoff match that sealed their fate.
For over thirty years since the Women’s World Cup began in 1991, Nigeria has always qualified.
This is the first time that streak has been broken.
The Department of State Services joined other security agencies in examining what the federation did with the massive government fund.
Officials were asked to show proof of how the money was used.
The board resignations could delay elections scheduled for September 27 in Nasarawa State.
The federation is now without its leadership as it deals with the fallout from years of poor management and declining performance of Nigeria’s national teams.
