Changing NFF Leadership Won’t Save Nigerian Football, Says Gara Gombe

Former Chairman of the Gombe State Football Association and veteran sports administrator, Ahmed Shuaibu Gara Gombe, has cautioned against attempts to unseat Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) President Ibrahim Gusau at the forthcoming federation elections, insisting that another leadership change will not solve the country’s football problems or guarantee qualification for the 2030 FIFA World Cup in Saudi Arabia.

Speaking ahead of the NFF board elections, Gara Gombe argued that Nigeria has spent decades replacing football administrators without addressing the structural flaws that have continued to hinder the growth of the game.

He warned that those advocating a change of leadership were focusing on personalities instead of the fundamental reforms needed to revive Nigerian football.

“Even if Gusau leaves today as some people are advocating, I swear to God nothing will change in Nigerian football,” Gara Gombe said.

“Don’t be surprised if you remove Gusau today and Nigeria still fails to qualify for the 2030 World Cup.”

The outspoken football administrator described the controversy surrounding every NFF election as a recurring cycle that has persisted for more than 40 years.

According to him, each election season is characterised by disagreements, allegations, court threats and fears of FIFA sanctions, but the contentious issues are quickly forgotten once the elections are concluded.

“For over 40 years, whenever NFF elections come, it is confusion, fighting, threats of sanctions and all kinds of controversies. Once the elections are over, everyone forgets about those issues until another election comes around,” he said.

Gara Gombe blamed what he called widespread hypocrisy among football stakeholders, accusing many administrators, former players and interest groups of speaking out only when their personal interests were no longer being served.

He noted that he had followed recent comments from newspaper editors, former internationals, administrators and officials regarding the NFF elections and Nigeria’s failure to qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, but insisted that much of the criticism directed at Gusau was unfair.

The former Gombe FA chairman, who had intended to contest for the NFF presidency before withdrawing over what he described as unacceptable provisions in the electoral guidelines, maintained that replacing successive NFF boards has never translated into improved results.

“We have changed executive boards from the days of Ibrahim Galadima, yet the problems remain exactly the same,” he said.

He added that Nigeria missed several opportunities over the years to undertake comprehensive reforms of its football administration, including periods when some stakeholders even suggested accepting a FIFA suspension to allow the country’s football structures to be rebuilt.

Instead, he argued, administrators have continued to recycle the same system while expecting different outcomes.

Gara Gombe also defended Gusau’s tenure, saying the incumbent had demonstrated a leadership style different from that of former NFF president Amaju Pinnick.

While describing Gusau as “too gentle” for one of the most demanding administrative positions in Nigerian sport, he praised the NFF president for maintaining his composure despite sustained criticism.

“I have seen clear differences between Gusau’s leadership and that of Amaju Pinnick,” he said.

“Gusau is a gentleman. Sometimes I tell him he is too soft for public office because the office of NFF president is one of the most difficult positions to occupy in Nigeria.”

He criticised Pinnick over remarks in which the former NFF president reportedly referred to himself as the “life president” of Nigerian football and claimed to maintain direct relationships with Super Eagles players.

According to Gara Gombe, such comments were inappropriate and should have no place in Nigerian football administration.

The veteran administrator also challenged the narrative that Gusau should bear responsibility for Nigeria’s failure to reach the 2026 FIFA World Cup, noting that the coaches who handled the Super Eagles during the qualification campaign, with the exception of current coach Éric Chelle, had all been appointed before Gusau assumed office.

He stressed that World Cup qualification cannot be achieved through short-term planning.

“You don’t prepare for a World Cup during the qualifiers,” he said.

“It is an eight to ten-year project. If Nigeria wants to qualify for the 2030 World Cup, the work has to start now.”

On the contentious NFF Statutes, Gara Gombe agreed that reforms were necessary but insisted they must be pursued through the federation’s established processes.

He observed that the current voting structure, dominated by state football association chairmen, has continued to determine the outcome of NFF elections since changes introduced during the administration of former NFF president Sani Lulu.

He concluded by urging stakeholders to support long-term football development rather than concentrating solely on who occupies the NFF presidency, pointing to ongoing infrastructure projects under Gusau’s administration, including hotel and football pitch developments at the Moshood Abiola National Stadium in Abuja, as evidence that progress should be measured beyond World Cup qualification alone.