Ban will destroy Nigerian football - Former Super Eagles coach

Former Nigeria national team coach Jo Bonfrere has warned Nigerian football authorities to exercise extreme caution in handling the ongoing crisis within the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF).

The coach stressed that any action that could lead to a FIFA ban would have devastating consequences for the country's football.

The Dutchman, who famously guided Nigeria's U-23 side, the Dream Team, to a historic Olympic gold medal at the 1996 Atlanta Games, said resolving the leadership crisis at the NFF must be done through legitimate and internationally recognised processes.

Bonfrere's warning comes amid mounting pressure on the leadership of the NFF, headed by President Ibrahim Musa Gusau, with growing calls from sections of the Nigerian football community for the board to resign over the country's recent struggles on the international stage.

While acknowledging concerns surrounding the current administration, Bonfrere argued that removing the NFF leadership through improper means could expose Nigeria to serious sanctions from FIFA.

Speaking to Complete Sports, Bonfrere urged those seeking changes within the federation to consider the wider consequences of any confrontation that could result in FIFA intervention.

According to the former coach, FIFA's regulations protect the independence of national football associations and generally oppose undue government interference in football administration.

"You have to be careful so you don’t get a FIFA ban, which will destroy the game here in Nigeria," Bonfrere said.

The former Nigeria coach stressed that a FIFA suspension would not simply affect the officials currently at the centre of the crisis. Instead, he said, its impact would spread across the entire football ecosystem, including players, coaches, clubs and young talents hoping to represent Nigeria internationally.

"If FIFA bans Nigeria, it will affect Nigerian players, and there will be no World Cup, AFCON, and all that for Nigerian football. The young talents will suffer," he added.

Bonfrere painted a bleak picture of what a FIFA suspension could mean for the country, particularly because Nigeria's national teams would potentially be prevented from participating in FIFA and CAF-organised competitions during the period of a ban.

He said, "No World Cup for the Super Eagles in 2026, no World Cup for the Super Falcons in 2027, and no AFCON and World Cup for the Flying Eagles. This is too bad, and Nigeria will take too long to recover from it."