Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) President, Ibrahim Gusau, and other members of the federation’s executive committee have resigned amid mounting pressure over the management of Nigerian football.

The development followed growing criticism of the NFF leadership over a series of setbacks involving the country’s national teams, including Nigeria’s historic failure to qualify for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup.

The latest crisis erupted after the Super Falcons lost 2-1 to South Africa’s Banyana Banyana in the Women’s World Cup qualification playoff, after earlier suffering a 1-0 defeat to Cameroon in the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations quarter-finals. The results ended Nigeria’s title defence and denied the team automatic qualification for the World Cup.

Nigeria had participated in every edition of the FIFA Women’s World Cup since the tournament began in 1991. The failure to qualify for the 2027 edition therefore represents an unprecedented setback for the country’s women’s football.

The NFF board had reportedly been under intense pressure over what critics described as poor administration of Nigerian football, with concerns also raised about the federation’s handling of funds released by the Federal Government for the national teams.

The Department of State Services (DSS) has reportedly joined other security agencies in examining the utilisation of a N17 billion Federal Government intervention fund approved by President Bola Tinubu in 2024 to settle outstanding wages, bonuses and other financial obligations owed to players and national teams.

A source familiar with the investigation told Vanguard that the DSS had requested documentation from NFF officials to establish how the funds released to the federation were utilised.

“It’s a normal thing for DSS to go through all documents relating to the funds released to them,” the source said, dismissing concerns that the investigation was aimed at witch-hunting or hounding NFF officials.

The probe comes against the backdrop of broader concerns over the administration and performance of Nigeria’s national teams, with the Super Eagles having missed consecutive FIFA World Cup tournaments and the Super Falcons now facing the possibility of missing the women’s tournament for the first time.

The mounting pressure had reportedly triggered calls for the resignation of the Gusau-led executive committee, with more than half of the 13-member NFF board said to have already resigned.

Reports indicate that eight of the 13 members of the NFF board have now quit their positions, further deepening the leadership crisis within the federation.

The mass resignations could also have implications for the NFF electoral process, with elections into the federation’s executive committee scheduled for September 27 in Lafia, Nasarawa State.

The latest development is expected to raise questions over the conduct of the planned elections and the future leadership structure of Nigerian football as the federation grapples with administrative, financial and sporting challenges.