FIFA Delays NFF Restructuring Approval Amid Crisis

FIFA has not yet approved the proposed restructuring of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) despite a meeting on September 1, 2023, between Nigerian football officials and FIFA President Gianni Infantino in Zurich, Switzerland. The Nigerian delegation, led by National Sports Commission (NSC) Chairman Shehu Dikko, included NSC Director-General Bukola Olopade, former NFF president Amaju Pinnick, Acting NFF General Secretary Emmanuel Ikpeme, and NFF Director of Legal Services Okey Obi.

This meeting followed the resignation of NFF President Ibrahim Musa Gusau and General Secretary Mohammed Sanusi on August 27, which created a leadership vacuum amid a crisis exacerbated by the Super Eagles' failure to qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup and the Super Falcons' failure to qualify for the 2027 Women’s World Cup. President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has directed the NSC to initiate comprehensive reforms in Nigerian football, including the potential establishment of a normalisation committee to oversee NFF affairs.

FIFA has accepted the resignations of the NFF's principal officers but has not confirmed the immediate establishment of the committee.