Nigerian football is at a critical point. For a country that has produced some of Africa’s greatest footballers, won major continental honours and built a reputation for producing exceptional talents, the current situation should make every football-loving Nigerian concerned.
This is not the time to pretend that everything is fine. This is the time to ask difficult questions. Where is Nigerian football heading?
And perhaps the biggest question of all: Who is responsible for the situation we find ourselves in today?
The Super Eagles: A Warning Sign
The Super Eagles remain one of the biggest symbols of Nigerian football. However, Nigeria failed to qualify for the 2022 FIFA World Cup and again missed out on the 2026 World Cup.
That should not be treated as an ordinary setback. For a football-loving nation like Nigeria, consecutive World Cup absences should trigger serious examination of our football development system, administration, planning, and technical structures.
Former Sports Minister Solomon Dalung has also repeatedly criticised the management of Nigerian football. In March 2025, he blamed poor sports management and administration for the Super Eagles’ struggles and said Nigeria’s World Cup qualification campaign had suffered since he left office.
Whether one agrees with Dalung or not, his comments raise an important question: Are we dealing only with a problem on the football pitch, or is the problem much deeper?
1. Administration And Transparency
One of the biggest concerns surrounding Nigerian football is administration. Football administration requires transparency, accountability, professionalism, and a clear development agenda. When administrators, stakeholders, clubs, coaches, players, and supporters lose confidence in the system, football development suffers.
There have also been repeated public allegations and criticisms concerning corruption, poor administration, and vested interests in Nigerian football. These allegations should not simply be accepted as facts without evidence, but they deserve proper investigation and serious public discussion.
Dalung himself has previously attributed the decline of Nigerian football to corruption and impunity in football administration.
The solution is not propaganda. The solution is transparency. If something is working, let us say it is working. If something is failing, let us have the courage to say it is failing.
2. Where Is The Long-Term Planning?
Nigeria needs a football development plan that goes beyond one tournament or one administration.
We cannot continue with what Nigerians often describe as a “fire brigade approach”—waiting until a crisis arrives before looking for a solution. Football development requires long-term planning.
We need to know: Where will our next generation of national-team players come from? How are our young players being identified? How are they being trained? What facilities are available to them? How are our coaches being developed? What is the pathway from grassroots football to the national teams? What happens to talented players who cannot afford professional development?
A serious football nation must have answers to these questions.
3. Grassroots Football Is The Foundation
This is perhaps the area that concerns me most. The future of Nigerian football is in the grassroots. Nigeria has historically produced outstanding footballers from humble beginnings.
Players such as Nwankwo Kanu, Jay-Jay Okocha, and Victor Osimhen represent different generations of Nigerian football talent, but the principle remains the same: talent must be identified, developed, and given the opportunity to grow.
Today, we need to strengthen grassroots competitions, school football, academies, youth leagues, and community football. We cannot build a strong national team without building the foundation underneath it. If grassroots football is neglected, the national teams will eventually feel the consequences.
4. What Is Happening To Our Domestic League?
The Nigerian domestic league should be the engine room of Nigerian football. Our clubs should be producing players for the Super Eagles and other national teams. Our league should also be producing clubs capable of competing strongly in CAF competitions.
But concerns about the standard of facilities, officiating, club administration, finances, player welfare, and allegations of match manipulation continue to affect confidence in the domestic game.
These are serious issues that require evidence-based investigation rather than rumours. If match-fixing or manipulation is taking place, those responsible should be investigated and punished according to the rules. If officiating is poor, it must be improved. If clubs are poorly managed, they need stronger professional structures. And if the league is to become commercially successful, it must be treated as a serious football business.
5. Coaching And Technical Development
Another major issue is technical development. Football has changed. Modern football requires tactical intelligence, sports science, data analysis, physical preparation, psychology, nutrition, and specialised coaching. Nigeria must therefore invest heavily in coach education. We cannot continually depend on individual brilliance.
Nigeria has always produced talented players. But talent alone is not enough. Eleven talented players do not automatically become a great team. They need a system. They need a philosophy. They need tactical understanding. They need continuity. And coaches need enough time and professional support to implement their ideas.
Constantly changing coaches without a clear long-term technical plan can make development difficult.
Our Youth Teams Must Not Be Forgotten
The Flying Eagles, Golden Eaglets, and our other youth national teams are not just competitions. They are part of the country’s football development pathway.
When young players struggle to qualify for major tournaments, it should make us ask what is happening at the foundation level. Youth football must not be treated as something we remember only when a qualifying tournament arrives. Development should be continuous.
Scout them. Train them. Educate them. Develop them. Monitor them. That is how we build the next generation.
What About The Super Falcons?
The Super Falcons remain one of Nigeria’s most successful national teams, but their continued development also deserves serious attention. Nigeria must protect the women’s game by investing in grassroots girls’ football, youth women’s competitions, professional women’s clubs, coaching, facilities, player welfare, international preparation and youth-to-senior pathways.
We cannot celebrate the Super Falcons only when they win. We must build the system that continually produces the players who will wear that jersey.
The NFF Election: A Moment For Reflection
The Nigeria Football Federation has confirmed that its 2026 Elective Congress will take place on 27 September 2026 in Lafia, Nasarawa State, one day later than the originally approved date because of the Super Eagles’ 2027 AFCON qualifying fixture against Madagascar.
This election should therefore be more than a contest for positions. It should be a conversation about the future of Nigerian football.
Nigerians should be asking the following: What is your football development plan? What will you do differently? How will you develop grassroots football? How will you improve the domestic league? How will you develop our coaches? How will you make our youth national teams competitive again? How will you improve transparency and accountability?
These are more important questions than personalities.
Should the NFF resign?
This is where I believe Nigerians need to have an honest conversation. Some stakeholders may believe the current leadership deserves another opportunity. Others may believe that a complete change of leadership is necessary.
My position is simple: Nobody should be above accountability. If an administration has failed to meet its responsibilities, it should be questioned. If it has succeeded, it should also be recognised.
What Nigeria needs is not blind loyalty to individuals. What Nigeria needs is competent, transparent, and accountable football administration.
The Way Forward
If we genuinely want Nigerian football to recover, I believe we need to focus on the following:
1. Transparent football administration.
2. A long-term national football development plan.
3. Massive investment in grassroots football.
4. Stronger school and academy football programmes.
5. Better youth national-team development.
6. Professionalisation of the domestic league.
7. Improved officiating and stronger integrity systems.
8. Better coach education and technical development.
9. Improved facilities and player welfare.
10. Accountability at every level of football administration.
This Is The Time To Speak Up.
I am not writing this because I hate Nigerian football. I am writing because I love Nigerian football. I am speaking because I want to see the Super Eagles back at the World Cup.
I want to see our Flying Eagles and Golden Eaglets competing successfully again. I want to see the Super Falcons continue to dominate African women’s football. I want to see Nigerian clubs compete strongly in CAF competitions. I want to see our grassroots football return to the center of national development. And I want to see young Nigerian boys and girls given genuine opportunities to become footballers.
We must stop pretending that every problem is success. When something is wrong, we must have the courage to say it is wrong. When something is good, we should celebrate it. When an administrator performs well, support the administrator. When an administrator fails, demand accountability. This is not about attacking individuals. This is about saving the future of Nigerian football.
The upcoming NFF election provides an opportunity for Nigerian football stakeholders to ask serious questions and demand serious answers.
The time to speak up is now. The time to rebuild is now. The time to develop Nigerian football is now. Let us put Nigerian football first.
I am Olawale Hamzat, popularly known as Top Striker. I will continue to speak for the development of Nigerian football. Let Nigerian football rise again.
Sent in by Olawale Hamzat (Top Striker)
