Ahmed Musa has called for total reform of Nigerian following the exclusion of the countries local clubs from the ongoing FIFA Club World Cup.
Four clubs from the continent; Wydad Casablanca of Morocco, South Africa’s Mamelodi Sundowns, Al Ahly of Egypt and Tunisia’s Esperance are currently taking part in the competition.
Nigerian referees were also snubbed by FIFA for the competition.
Musa declared that is important to revamp Nigerian football so that it can compete side-by-side with others in the world.
” I have been following the FIFA Club World Cup and my focus has been on the African clubs in the tournament. Apart from the excitement, the tournament is a money-spinner for the African clubs,” Musa wrote on X.
“It’s a sober reflection if we compare the African Clubs at the Club World Cup to our domestic league, the Nigeria Premier Football League.
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“Can we compete at this level? What are we not getting right? We need to review the organization of the League, clubs’ structure, and funding. We need to set out new policies and drive the reforms.
“The NPFL is not lacking in potential, our football has got abundance of talent and potential from the grassroots to the elite level, but these factors aren’t enough in a modern football system.
“We must collectively decide to make our football work which will ensure that our clubs compete at the continental and world level.
“What about the referees and officiating? Other African countries are producing referees for CAF and FIFA tournaments, but what do we have here?
“We must work hard to ensure our football meets the global standard and organization.
“Wishing all the African countries at the FIFA Club World Cup success.”
By Adeboye Amosu
5 Comments
Corruption has been the bane of our football and you are a part of the system so you guys should deal with it . You (Musa) and NFF can’t eat your cake and have it.
Has anyone noticed a common thread among the four African clubs representing the continent at the upcoming FIFA Club World Cup? They all hail from economically stable nations—countries with functional infrastructure, relatively efficient governance, and a clear vision for sports development.
This is no coincidence.
A stable economy provides an enabling environment for corporate sponsorships, the kind that bankrolls elite football clubs. When businesses thrive, they invest in sports. When governments plan and manage their infrastructure responsibly—roads, electricity, health, education, and yes, stadiums—football doesn’t operate in isolation, it becomes part of the national development ecosystem. The sporting infrastructure in countries like Morocco, Egypt, South Africa, and Tunisia is simply a mirror of their broader infrastructural strength as a nation. Or is Morocco not hosting the world cup in few years time? That’s a massive testament.
In contrast, Nigerian clubs are still stuck in a quagmire of outdated facilities, sporadic funding, and administrative chaos. Not for lack of talent, but for lack of a working system.
Let’s talk leadership.
The football federations in Morocco and South Africa aren’t dictated by zoning formulas or ethnic calculations. You don’t hear things like, “Amaju Pinnick is from the South, so the next NFF president must come from the North.” That is the kind of thinking that has fractured our institutions and crippled our potential.
Instead, they opt for continuity, merit, and vision. Danny Jordaan has been at the helm of SAFA for years, guiding the steady rise of South African football. Fouzi Lekjaa has been president of the Moroccan FA since 2014. In that time, Morocco has made massive strides—both at the club and national team levels, across male and female, senior and youth football. He’s also the Minister of Budget. Imagine that level of integration and strategic thinking.
Can someone tell me what Gusau does apart from sitting down at the Glass House as the NFF President?
Then there’s the coaching philosophy.
South Africa is perhaps the best example of locally-driven coaching development in Africa. From their clubs to their national teams, you can see a clear footballing identity: ball possession, high pressing, controlled build-up from the back, and aggressive finishing. It’s the same whether you’re watching their U17s, U20s, Bafana Bafana, or Banyana Banyana.
What drives this? Coaching education. Local coaches are constantly trained and retrained. Systems are in place. A philosophy is maintained across all levels. Then I ask: why won’t they prosper? In fact, it’ll be so unfair if they don’t.
Now ask yourself: what’s Nigeria’s philosophy?
We’ve become so disconnected from foundational football development that our youth teams can’t even qualify for regional tournaments, let alone make an impact at continental level. Our local coaches are underfunded, undertrained, and often undermined by politics and nepotism. There is no structure, no long-term thinking, no plan.
Our last moment of club football glory came in 2004, when Enyimba won back-to-back CAF Champions League titles. But let’s not kid ourselves—it wasn’t because the system was working. It was because one man—Orji Uzor Kalu—made it a mission, because before then and after then then, there hasn’t been anything close to that success for Nigeria in club football. For two years, Enyimba was run the way a professional football club should be run. With vision, investment, and accountability. They even played a friendly match in 2001 against one of the best teams in the world then, an Inter Milan side led by one of the best players in football history, Ronaldo De Lima. Even though they were pounded at the San Siro by 7:0, that experience prepared them for their triumph in 2003 and 2004.
Since then? A steep decline. Nothing but chaos and occasional flashes of brilliance, smothered by systemic rot.
And now, we watch from the sidelines while other African nations reap the benefits of planning, development, and smart administration. This isn’t about luck. It’s about systems. It’s about doing the hard work beneath the surface, not just dancing when a tournament is near.
Talent is never the issue in Nigeria. We’ve always had it. But talent needs structure to flourish, and structure cannot grow in a swamp of politics, tribalism, and mediocrity.
Until we fix the fundamentals—governance, infrastructure, coaching development, youth systems—Nigerian football will keep gasping while others soar.
And by then, the Club World Cup will remain a dream… until another lone visionary decides to fight against a broken system for another brief miracle.
If our domestic league is to develop and be able to compete well in Africa and beyond the following steps must be achieved.
1. The NFF hierarchy must be reconstituted with Sanusi remove as secretary general. As long as he remains as secretary general our football will not develop.
2. Government must provide enable environment by providing basic infrastructure facilities like standard stadiums. The case of National Stadium, Tafawa Balawa Stadium, Liberty Stadium which require renovations since 15 years ago are clear examples.
3. Good officiating of Matches by the officials i.e referees appointed at each match venue which will go a long way to produce worthy champion that will be able to compete well at the various African Championships.
4. Aligning our football calendar to that of Europe and other continent which the present NPFL leadership has been able to achieve for two seasons and I only hope it is maintained or sustain by the officials.
5. Ability to invest enough fund in different teams so as to have sustainable and capable players from within and outside the country to compete with other countries like Tunisia, Morocco, South Africa that have clubs with players of different nationalities.
These points can to extend lift our domestic league to the level we all desire.
MUSA you should be the one to start by first of all declining to be part of Eagles whenever you are criminally and dubiously called. Let them know you have no good contribution to make and they should stop pocketing your appearance fees while you keep being invited for the fun of it.
Also tell them there better are better players to be given the chance to play .
If you don’t have anything to say better keep quiet,what of Ronaldo and Messi who are making waves in their forties?