Nigeria football is in tatters – Former NFF Exco member Barrister Chris Green

Former Executive Council member of the Nigeria Football Federation, Barrister Chris Green, has depicted the grim state of Nigerian football scenes, insisting their game is in tatters amid recent struggles.

The Super Eagles are gearing up for the upcoming 2025 African Cup of Nations, having missed out on 2026 World Cup qualification to be staged in the USA, Canada and Mexico.

Nigeria opens its AFCON campaign against Tanzania on December 23, but Green insists many Nigerians remain disappointed after the national team failed to qualify for the global showpiece, even after a playoff reprieve.

Green has, however, dismissed the significance of securing a fourth AFCON title in Morocco, saying, “Who cares about the Nations Cup? We have won AFCON three times…” He blamed the NFF for what he called a total collapse in football standards.

“The state of Nigerian football is not encouraging… It is in tatters,” he said, adding that administrators “are not capable” and the job “is beyond them.”

“We don’t even see the president most times… They cannot give account of what they have done,” he said, contrasting Nigeria’s situation with countries like Morocco, South Africa, and Egypt, which he praised for strong football development plans.

Green then criticized the collapse of youth football, with Nigeria failing to secure back to back World Cup qualification for both U17 and U20 levels respectively.

“U17 zero… U20 zero… Super Eagles have failed to qualify for the World Cup back-to-back.” He said while blaming overreliance on diaspora players for recent struggles in youth football.

Calling for total restructuring, he urged a national football conference: “Let us tell ourselves the naked truth, We need something enduring.”