FIFA and CAF have ordered a halt to the NFF’s electoral process following the resignation of president Ibrahim Gusau and the entire board, with a joint review now deciding the federation’s next steps.
Nigerian football administration is in a state of limbo right now. FIFA and CAF have ordered the Nigeria Football Federation to suspend all electoral activities, stepping in just weeks before the Super Eagles’ AFCON 2027 qualifying campaign begins. It’s a messy backdrop for a team that badly needs stability.
In a letter dated September 7, 2026, FIFA’s Chief Member Associations Officer, Elkhan Mammadov, instructed the NFF to halt every step of its electoral process pending a joint review with CAF. The letter was addressed to interim deputy general secretary Emmanuel Ikpeme, who has been named the primary point of contact between the NFF, FIFA and CAF for the duration of the process, according to Legit.ng.
As a result, the NFF’s planned Elective Congress, originally scheduled for September 27 in Lafia, Nasarawa State, is off the table for now. FIFA has been clear that no outcome — whether a ban, a normalisation committee, or anything else — should be assumed before the review concludes.
The crisis traces back to the resignation of NFF president Ibrahim Musa Gusau, general secretary Mohammed Sanusi and the rest of the Executive Committee, announced at a press conference in Abuja. The departures followed sustained criticism of how the federation handled Nigeria’s national teams.
The Super Eagles missed out on the 2026 FIFA World Cup, losing to DR Congo on penalties in the African play-off final. The Super Falcons then lost their Women’s World Cup qualification play-off to South Africa, ending Nigeria’s run of appearing at every edition of that tournament since 1991. On top of the results, the EFCC and ICPC opened investigations into how a ₦12 billion federal government intervention fund — meant to cover players’ wages, bonuses and allowances — was actually used, as reported by Leadership Newspapers.
FIFA formally accepted the resignations at a meeting in Zurich on September 1, where the Nigerian delegation — led by National Sports Commission chairman Shehu Dikko — discussed a comprehensive reform roadmap with FIFA and CAF officials, including former NFF president Amaju Pinnick in his capacity as special adviser to the CAF president.
A joint FIFA and CAF assessment mission is expected to travel to Abuja to meet the NFF administration, federation members, electoral bodies and government representatives, including officials from the National Sports Commission. That mission will gather information before FIFA and CAF decide whether to recommend any formal action.
In the meantime, Ikpeme continues to oversee the NFF Secretariat as acting general secretary, with Ademola Olajire serving as interim deputy general secretary. Dikko has said the process is being handled within FIFA, CAF and NFF statutes, and expressed confidence that “Nigeria football will emerge much better and properly structured” once it concludes.
The timing could hardly be worse. Eric Chelle’s side open their AFCON 2027 qualifying campaign against Madagascar in Uyo on September 25, before travelling to face Guinea-Bissau four days later. Nigeria sit in Group L alongside co-hosts Tanzania, who already have an automatic spot at the 2027 finals in Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda — meaning only one other team from the group can qualify, and every point matters from kickoff.
An unsettled federation doesn’t usually help a head coach trying to build momentum. Still, the good news for Nigerian fans is that the reform push is squarely about governance, not about disrupting Chelle’s preparations — see our latest Super Eagles squad watch for who’s actually in contention for those opening qualifiers. We’ll keep tracking how the FIFA-CAF review develops as Nigeria’s football administration works through its biggest shake-up in years.
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