BREAKING: NFF President Ibrahim Gusau, resigns amidst World Cup failure and EFCC probe
The President of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), Ibrahim Gusau, has resigned along with General Secretary Mohammed Sanusi and at least seven other Executive Committee board members.
The mass resignation took place at the NFF Secretariat in Abuja on Thursday, August 27, 2026.
Ibrahim Gusau announced his resignation as NFF President during a press conference at the NFF headquarters in Abuja on Thursday.
Although Gusau earlier said he is unaware of which members of his cabinet have resigned, a source from the Super Eagles news account on X (@SSE_NGA) claims board members of the Executive Committee joined Gusau in resigning.
_“I don’t know who else has resigned”,_ Gusau said.
The NFF official X social media account (@thenff) has also confirmed the resignation of Gusau, the executive committee and the general secretary, Mohammed Sanusi.
Ibrahim Gusau had originally planned to contest for a second term as NFF President during the NFF Elective Congress in Lafia, Nasarawa State, on September 27, 2026.
This development comes after months of mounting pressure over poor national team performances and administrative controversies.
The Nigeria senior men’s national football team, known as the Super Eagles, failed to qualify for the just-concluded 2026 FIFA Men’s World Cup after missing out on the 2022 World Cup.
The senior women’s team, Super Falcons, likewise failed to qualify for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup for the first time after getting knocked out of the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations in the quarter-finals.
Earlier in August 2026, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC) launched deep investigations into the federation.
The anti-graft bodies, alongside the Department of State Services (DSS), are probing the alleged mismanagement of a ₦12 billion to ₦17 billion Federal Government intervention fund released in 2024. The funds were explicitly meant to clear long-standing unpaid wages, bonuses, and allowances owed to national team players and coaches.
The structural crisis deepened following an internal report submitted on August 21, 2026, by an NFF fact-finding committee. According to Premium Times Nigeria, the report exposed severe institutional rot, including allegations that board members and coaches were pocketing financial kickbacks to influence player selections and national team camp invitations.
The sudden exit of more than half of the 13-member executive board has thrown the administration into a complete transition phase.
An emergency NFF congress has been summoned in Abuja to determine the interim leadership structure and map out the immediate rebuilding of Nigerian football administration.