FIFA and the Confederation of African Football (CAF) have suspended further steps in the Nigeria Football Federation’s electoral process.
The intervention puts the NFF’s planned 27 September elections on hold, with FIFA and CAF set to travel to Abuja to engage key stakeholders and examine the circumstances surrounding the federation.
The decision comes amid reports that FIFA and Nigeria’s National Sports Commission had reached an agreement on proposed reforms to the country’s football administration.
However, FIFA has rejected suggestions that a final agreement has been reached.
In an email dated 7 September and addressed to NFF Acting General Secretary Emmanuel Ikpeme, FIFA Chief Member Associations Officer Elkhan Mammadov said: “FIFA and CAF are currently assessing the legal, governance, administrative and electoral implications arising from the current circumstances within the NFF.”
The move follows a major shake-up within Nigerian football, after NFF President Ibrahim Musa Gusau, General Secretary Mohammed Sanusi and members of the federation’s Executive Committee resigned amid growing criticism of the country’s football fortunes.
The crisis has developed against the backdrop of a series of disappointing results involving Nigeria’s national teams.
The Super Eagles failed to qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, while the Super Falcons missed out on qualification for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup for the first time in their history.
Several of Nigeria’s youth national teams have also failed to qualify for major continental and global competitions.
The latest FIFA and CAF intervention therefore comes at a particularly difficult period for Nigerian football.
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