Is Gusau the Main Problem?
By Wale Joseph
Nigerian football is at a crossroads, with standards and development in clear decline. Wale Joseph, Writes.
The warning signs are everywhere. The Super Eagles have failed to qualify for back-to-back FIFA World Cups. The Super Falcons suffered a disappointing outing at the just-concluded WAFCON, and for the first time ever, failed to qualify for the FIFA Women’s World Cup. The Golden Eaglets have also missed the last two editions of the FIFA U-17 World Cup.
Even the National Under-20 Flying Eagles are not an exception in the decline.
With results, this poor, across men’s, women’s, and youth teams, calls for the head of NFF President Ibrahim Gusau, who are understandable. After all, the buck stops on his table.
But is he solely to blame?
Yes and No.
While the President bears ultimate responsibility, we must also look deeper at the Technical Department headed by former Super Eagles player and coach Austin Eguavoen and at the Scouting Department of the Federation.
The rot is not limited to the Super Eagles or Super Falcons alone. It has spread through the entire structure.
So the bigger question is: If Ibrahim Gusau is removed today, what guarantees improvement in Nigerian football with the same people still running the Federation from the Secretary General, to the Head of Technical, to the Marketing Department?
It can be argued that they are not the ones making final decisions. But a weak technical department is just as damaging as a weak president. A federation is only as strong as its entire management team.
Therefore, what will any new candidate promise to replace Ibrahim Gusau do differently if they inherit the same management structure?
Stakeholders must look beyond Gusau. The solution to Nigerian football goes beyond the September 27th election. What we need is a holistic reset of personnel, processes, scouting, youth development, and accountability if Nigerian football is to move forward.
