NFF Refutes FIFA Claims as Nigerian Team Meets Infantino

The Nigeria Football Federation has said reports about FIFA asking for clarification on government interference are not true.

The NFF released a statement on its X account on Tuesday, calling a letter that has been shared in some media outlets fake.

The federation also mentioned that FIFA has already accepted the resignations of the previous NFF leaders and executive members.

The statement said, "The NFF has debunked news of a ‘letter’ circulating in sections of the media as being from world football governing body, FIFA. It is totally fake. FIFA has already accepted the resignations of former principal officers and members of the NFF Exco."

This denial came as a Nigerian delegation met FIFA President Gianni Infantino in Zurich, Switzerland, on Tuesday.

A photo shared by the NFF shows the moment the delegation, led by NSC Chairman Shehu Dikko and Director-General Bukola Olopade, met Infantino.

Former NFF President and ex-FIFA Council member Amaju Pinnick was also part of the meeting.

They discussed the ongoing restructuring of Nigerian football, recent changes in leadership at the NFF, and what needs to be done to improve the sport.

This meeting followed the resignation of NFF President Ibrahim Musa Gusau and members of his executive committee due to pressure regarding the state of Nigerian football.

Gusau, whose term was set to end in September, confirmed his resignation during a news conference in Abuja last Thursday.

The NFF has since put in place an interim management structure. Emmanuel Ikpeme, a former deputy general secretary, will serve as interim general secretary. Ademola Olajire, who used to head the federation’s media and communications, is now the interim deputy general secretary.

President Bola Tinubu has also called for changes in Nigerian football after what he called "repeated failures."

The NFF has been under scrutiny for how Nigeria’s national and youth teams have performed.

The Super Eagles missed the 2026 FIFA World Cup for the second time in a row, while the Super Falcons did not qualify for the 2027 Women’s World Cup, marking the first time since 1991 that they will not participate.

Various stakeholders have also asked for reforms in how football is managed and developed at the grassroots level.

The letter that the NFF has now dismissed as fake allegedly stated that FIFA was worried about reports of Gusau resigning after a directive from the Presidency.

It also supposedly quoted FIFA rules on the independence of member associations and warned of possible sanctions, including suspension, if the Nigerian government did not clarify the situation.

But the NFF insisted that the letter was not from FIFA and that FIFA had already accepted the resignations of the former NFF officials.