NFF committee submits report into Nigeria’s disappointing tournament results

The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) fact-finding committee has submitted its report into Nigeria’s poor performances at major international football tournaments, including the Super Falcons’ failure to retain the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) title and their qualification setback for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup.

The four-page report was submitted by committee chairman Fanny Amun, a former coach of the Golden Eaglets and Flying Eagles. It has since been circulated on several social media platforms.

The NFF established the committee after the Super Falcons were eliminated during WAFCON 2026 in Morocco and missed out on qualification for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup.

The federation, which is responsible for developing and administering football in Nigeria, said the investigation was intended to examine the wider problems affecting the country’s football system. These included administrative difficulties, disappointing results and a loss of confidence among stakeholders.

The committee was chaired by Amb. Fanny I. Amun (MON), with Dr Alex Mana, Desire Oparanozie, Ladan Bosso and Mutiu Adepoju as members. Nasiru Jibril served as secretary.

Its terms of reference included identifying the root causes of Nigeria’s recent struggles in international football, with particular emphasis on the Super Falcons’ campaign in Morocco in 2026. The review covered governance, finances, technical development, grassroots football and league administration.

The committee said its report was designed to explain why Nigeria failed to defend the WAFCON title and did not qualify for the FIFA Women’s World Cup in Brazil in 2027. It also set out recommendations intended to provide a practical route towards rebuilding a football system that benefits players, clubs and the country.

Among the issues examined were communication with players, the release of players for international duty, team relationships and the role of analysts within the technical structure. The report said there was no evidence that an individual player had influenced selection, and found that the players had cooperated with one another.

The committee also investigated a medical case involving Ashleigh Plumptre. It found that she had undergone surgery and was not fit to play, a conclusion supported by medical staff in Nigeria and by her overseas club.

The report called for clearer systems covering player loyalty, performance management, team development and the relationship between the technical department and the federation. It said the NFF should establish a deliberate framework for managing national teams and developing players.

It also criticised the way some officials were allowed to enter the team camp at will, saying camp procedures should be more clearly controlled. The committee recommended earlier and better-coordinated preparations for national teams, improved scouting and selection processes, and the use of current fitness levels and objective performance measures when choosing players.

Women’s football was another major area of concern. The report called for a specific development plan for both the men’s and women’s games, including the training and retraining of administrative and technical staff. It said the Nigeria Women’s Football League should be encouraged to benefit from the structure and experience of the men’s league.

The committee recommended stronger technology and data systems to improve age verification and prevent discrepancies in player information. It also called for tighter regulations and oversight covering players, training, coaching education and certification.

Nigeria’s domestic competitions, including the Nigeria Premier Football League, Nigeria National League, Nigeria Nationwide League One and Nigeria Women’s Football League, were described as needing better structures and funding. The report said the Nigeria National League should be reorganised to align with improved financial support, while the Super Six tournament was identified as important for national-team development and scouting.

The committee said new technological initiatives could help attract funding, while government and corporate support for football should be restructured to meet modern challenges. It also urged the NFF to create more effective channels for implementing regulations across all areas of the game.

Social media and outside influence were highlighted as potential threats to team unity. The report recommended closer monitoring of their negative effects on squad cohesion and said all teams should receive stronger technical and organisational support.

It also addressed remuneration and rewards, stating that compensation should be properly structured, fair and paid accordingly. A reported incident involving missing money in Morocco, the committee said, should have been handled at the highest level of leadership.

The report included allegations that some NFF board members influenced the invitation of players to national teams, both domestically and internationally. It also referred to claims that coaches and officials invited players to national-team camps in order to create opportunities for financial gain.

Further allegations concerned the payment of board members and NFF management staff during national-team delegations, while players and some of their officials were allegedly left unpaid. The committee also referred to claims that board members, NFF management staff and coaches accepted incentives to influence decisions over camp invitations.

It said allegations that some federation employees remained in lucrative positions for too long should be examined, as this was said to create unnecessary rivalry among staff and damage the wider system.

The committee called for internal organisational procedures to verify all such claims and for a diagnostic review of the problems identified. It said reforms must be practical, implementable and supported by political will.

It also urged the NFF Congress to adopt a workable model of the statutes that could accommodate all stakeholders and help liberate the federation, noting that similar requests had been made by three former Presidents of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

Congress members, it recommended, should be knowledgeable, credible and experienced, with a maximum of two terms in office.

Despite its criticism, the committee commended the team that represented Nigeria in Morocco and said the federation must now focus on applying the necessary reforms and moving forward.