Worried NFF President Ibrahim Gusau assures of commitment to revive youth football

President of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), Ibrahim Gusau, has voiced serious concern over the recent decline in youth football across the country, following a series of disappointing performances by the country’s junior national teams on the global stage.

Nigeria’s U-20 men’s team, the Flying Eagles, exited the 2025 FIFA U-20 World Cup in Chile at the group stage, with Morocco ultimately winning the tournament. At the ongoing FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup, the Flamingos began their campaign with a 4-1 defeat to Canada.

Meanwhile, the U-17 men’s team, the Golden Eaglets, failed to qualify for the 2026 FIFA U-17 World Cup after losing to Ghana in the semifinals of the 2025 WAFU-B Cup, a result that also ruled them out of the next U-17 AFCON in Morocco.

Gusau described the situation as alarming but assured Nigerians that concrete steps are being taken to rebuild from the grassroots.

“I am worried because the future of our football starts with them. However, the good news is that the NFF and FIFA have developed a talent development program for the U-15 boys and girls, which remains a top priority,” Gusau said.

He highlighted plans to restructure talent identification pathways to improve quality and reduce inefficiencies in player selection.

“You may recall that last year, the U-15 boys were in Morocco to play some friendly matches. We are starting afresh. In the near future, it won’t be business as usual for the U-17s. Instead of calling open camps where over a thousand boys show up, selection will now begin from age 14.”

Gusau added that collaboration with FIFA will be key in implementing this new approach.

“It’s a worrying trend because Nigeria has always been one of the best youth footballing nations in the world, not just in Africa. So we must act quickly. We’re collaborating with FIFA to establish a program that will eliminate open screening camps. Instead, zonal programs will identify the best players, who will then be brought to Abuja for close monitoring. Hopefully, we’ll get out of this situation soon,” he concluded.

The NFF president reaffirmed that youth development will remain at the heart of Nigeria’s football transformation agenda as the federation looks to reclaim its status as a powerhouse in world football.