Odegbami: NSC Must Act Now to Rescue Nigerian Football

Former Nigeria international and captain Segun Odegbami has called on the National Sports Commission (NSC) to take the lead in resolving the country’s deepening football crisis following the Super Falcons’ failure to qualify for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup.

Odegbami said the Falcons’ defeat, which ended Nigeria’s 35-year run of appearances at the Women’s World Cup, represented the latest in a series of disappointing results that have left Nigerians frustrated and in pain.

He argued that the current administration of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) had failed to meet the expectations of the country and should not be allowed to return for another term when its tenure expires next month.

According to the former international, the latest setback provides an opportunity for Nigeria to change the direction and vision of its football administration. He called for a transparent, fair and equitable electoral process capable of producing an administration with clearly defined goals and a commitment to achieving them.

Odegbami stressed that failure in major competitions must have consequences for administrators just as it does for players and coaches.

He recalled Nigeria’s failure to qualify for the 1978 World Cup after losing to Tunisia in the decisive qualifier, noting that former defender Godwin Odiye continued to bear the burden of the infamous own goal that ended the country’s hopes.

He also cited Nigeria’s failure to qualify for the 1982 World Cup as another painful episode and argued that administrators, like players and coaches, must be prepared to accept responsibility when their leadership fails to deliver.

‘The reality is that failure in major competitions comes with a high price for everyone,’ Odegbami said, insisting that there should be no attempt to disguise or justify repeated failures in Nigerian football.

The former captain also questioned the structure of football administration in Nigeria, particularly the role and status of the State Football Associations in the NFF electoral system.

He argued that the present structure had created a powerful bloc capable of perpetuating itself in office and had remained largely unchanged for more than two decades.

Odegbami called for a comprehensive review of the architecture of Nigerian football, including the identity of the primary members of the federation, the status of affiliates, the role of State FAs and the evolution from the Nigeria Football Association (NFA) to the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF).

He also questioned the electoral process and called for amendments that would promote equity, transparency, fair representation and accountability.

He further urged stakeholders to examine the relationship between the government and football administration, particularly the role of the NSC as the government agency responsible for sports development and funding.

Odegbami maintained that the NSC should not be regarded as a ‘third party’ interfering in football because it is a primary stakeholder in Nigeria’s sports architecture.

‘The National Sports Commission must assert itself now and take up the mantle to lead the country’s football out of the present pit,’ he said, urging the commission and the NFF to put national interest ahead of institutional pride and personal ambitions.

He also called for the National Assembly to become part of the reform process, arguing that the findings and decisions from a comprehensive review of Nigerian football should ultimately be translated into Nigerian law.

Odegbami expressed the hope that meaningful reforms could still be achieved without resorting to prolonged legal battles, urging the football authorities to acknowledge the scale of the crisis and work with government and other stakeholders to establish a new framework capable of delivering better results for Nigeria.