Nigeria soccer federation president resigns after teams fail to reach major tournaments

Nigeria players pose for a team photo ahead of the World Cup African qualifier soccer match between DR Congo and Nigeria in Rabat, Morocco, Sunday, Nov. 16, 2025. (AP Photo/File) 2026-08-27T16:16:41Z ABUJA, Nigeria (AP) — Ibrahim Gusau resigned as president of the Nigeria-football-federation" class="entity-link entity-organization" data-entity-id="194818" data-entity-type="organization">Nigeria Football Federation on Thursday after mounting pressure that followed the country’s failure to qualify for major tournaments. The federation said its general secretary Mohammed Sanusi has also resigned. Gusau, in the post since 2022, said he made the decision after consulting with stakeholders and family. The federation had launched a fact-finding committee to investigate the country’s recent poor performances in international competitions. The Super Eagles, the men’s team, failed to qualify for the World Cup, losing 4-3 on penalties to Democratic Republic of Congo . The women’s team, known as the Super Falcons, didn’t qualify for the 2027 Women’s World Cup after losing earlier this month 2-1 to South Africa in an intercontinental playoff . The team had always qualified for the tournament since it began in 1991. ___ See AP’s full soccer coverage here