Next NFF President: Power to the players

Retold by Oddsrama · 31 August 2026

Sunday Oliseh, the former Super Eagles captain and coach, has made a passionate call for ex-professional footballers to take the helm at the Nigeria Football Federation. In a piece that cuts to the heart of what ails Nigerian football, Oliseh argues that no playing legend has ever held the NFF presidency in the organization's nearly 80-year history—a glaring gap that may finally be closing. His point is simple: those who've lived and breathed the game at the highest level understand it in ways outsiders simply cannot.

Oliseh paints a picture of how players in his generation were forged through discipline, camaraderie, and the mentoring of legendary coaches who taught them far more than tactics and technique. The rigour of professional football—sharing buses, meals, camps, and the collective journey across Nigeria's leagues—creates a bond and wisdom that transcends the pitch. That foundation, he insists, is precisely what the NFF needs now. The alternative, he argues, has been catastrophic: twelve years of leadership by people with no football pedigree, presiding over embezzlement, player payments held back, and zero accountability.

For betting followers, this matters. Corruption and mismanagement at federation level directly impact team morale, preparation quality, and national-team performance. A leadership overhaul under a credible ex-player could signal real structural change—something that eventually translates to more predictable, better-resourced competitive football. Oliseh suggests President Tinubu's recent interventions are aimed at precisely this outcome: handing control back to the football family.

Oliseh's call is a rallying cry for the player community to unite behind a single candidate and fill board positions with trusted footballing voices. The argument is as much about dignity and stewardship as it is about fixing the leaks in Nigeria's football funding and development pipelines.

Based on original reporting by Score Nigeria. Read the original at scorenigeria.com.ng →

#Nigeria Football Federation#Super Eagles#Sunday Oliseh

Next NFF President: Power to the players

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