Alhaji Ibrahim Musa Gusau, the President of the Nigerian Football Federation (NFF), reflects on his journey so far as the leader of the country’s football administration. Having served on the NFF board for eight years as the Chairman of Chairmen, Gusau admits that the role of president has presented new challenges and opportunities.
“I must say, it’s been an interesting journey so far. Being on the board is one thing, but being president is entirely different. As president, you are in charge of the entire system,” Gusau says, speaking with a tone of both pride and humility.
Gusau’s mission has always been clear: to develop football from the grassroots and elevate the domestic leagues to their full potential. During his campaign, he had made ambitious promises to see the Super Eagles reach the final of the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) and qualify for the World Cup. “To the glory of God, we won the last AFCON, though we lost to the host country in the final,” Gusau notes, highlighting the progress of Nigeria’s national teams. “The Super Falcons also qualified for the Olympics after sixteen years of missing out.”
In addition to national team successes, Gusau celebrates the bronze medal won by Nigeria’s U-17 team at the World Cup in India, a testament to the nation’s emerging football talents.
Beyond international competitions, one of his primary focuses has been improving Nigeria’s domestic leagues, particularly the Premier League. “You can see that now any team can play and win away matches without any hindrance,” Gusau proudly remarks. A major factor in this transformation has been the improvement in officiating.
The NFF, under Gusau’s leadership, has made significant strides in ensuring that only competent referees are allowed to officiate in the league. “We’ve trained our referees adequately, with support from CAF and FIFA, as well as through internal training,” he adds.
One of Gusau’s promises is to provide referees with advanced communication tools and to introduce the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) system to the league. “Some of our referees are already undergoing VAR training,” he reveals, noting that this is a key part of the NFF’s plans before the end of his tenure.
As he looks forward to the next four years, Gusau remains optimistic about the future of Nigerian football. “By the grace of God, we are seeing progress in what we are trying to achieve,” he says, determined to lead Nigerian football to greater heights.
