NSC takes over NFF's functions, seeks N5bn from FG for two 2026 World Cup qualifying matches

NSC takes over NFF's functions, seeks N5bn from FG for two 2026 World Cup qualifying matches

By Mike Ndidi, Abuja

Less than two weeks to Nigeria's two crucial 2026 FIFA World Cup Qualifying Fixtures, it has now appears that the National Sports Commission (NSC) may have usurped the functions of Nigeria Football Federation (NFF).

Nigeria's Super Eagles will take on the Amavubi of Rwanda at the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium in Uyo on September 9, and the Bafana Bafana of South Africa in Bloemfontein a few days later.

Both matches are a must-win for the Nigerian side, if they are to return to contention for a ticket to the mundial.

But things appear to be falling apart for the team as relations between the NSC and the NFF have now been soured.

This development snowballed into a dangerous dimension with the act of setting up a committee by the Commission to oversee both the preparations and running of the team and the disbursal of all funds released for the matches by the Federal Government.

It is a dire situation observers are now worried could affect the achievement of desired results.

The committee, set up by NSC Chairman Shehu Dikko, was named "World Cup Quaĺifiers Committee".

Though not officially inaugurated, it has already set out to work, after holding an inaugural meeting, with NFF officials being summoned to submit regular reports to it and not the NFF Secretariat/management led by General Secretary Mohammed Sanusi.

The committee has Adeyinka Adeboye, popularly known as Zulu and Special Assistant to President Bola Tinubu on Grassroot Sports, as Chairman.

He is however seen as a decoy, to deceive others and divert attention, as other members running the show are two special assistants to Dikko ---- the duo of Musa Amadu, a former NFF General Secretary, and Salihu Abubakar, a former NFF staff and former head of Nigeria Football League.

The three other members of the committee are Emmanuel Ayanbunmi, NFF's Head of Protocol, a representative from the office of NSC Director-General Bukola Olopade, and Ali Cairo who few months ago quit the NFF after working for years as an administrative staff during when he served as Coordinator of several national under-age teams.

Meanwhile, the NSC has submitted a budget of about five billion Naira to the Federal Government to prosecute the two matches.

Already, it is highly expected that the Federal Government will grant its approval, in view of the importance attached to the two World Cup qualifiers which are crucial to Nigeria's chances of securing a ticket to the mundial.

It will be recalled that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu graciously released the sum of about three billion Naira for the matches played against Rwanda and Zimbabwe in March.

Currently, South Africa lead the group with 13 points from six matches, though they face a possible three-point and three-goal deduction for fielding an ineligible player in a game.

But the worry now in sports circles is that the NSC by applying for this fund would now disburse it on behalf of NFF.

Already, there is a precedent as the same was witnessed in March.

This was when NSC officials went to Kigali to disburse money to Super Eagles players during the match against Rwanda, thereby taking the Commission's function of overseeing the National Sports Federations to the level of running their day-to-day affairs for them.