Former Gombe State Football Association chairman Shuaibu Gara Gombe has warned that changing the leadership of the Nigeria Football Federation alone will not solve the country’s long-standing football problems.
Gara Gombe believes Nigeria’s difficulties are systemic, with structural weaknesses continuing to affect the national teams regardless of which administration is in charge.
The veteran football administrator said the problems are not new and only become more visible whenever Nigeria fails to qualify for a major competition or suffers a disappointing result.
“The failure in Nigerian football is systemic. That is why even when the administration changes, the failures remain. We need new ideas to tackle the problem rather than simply trading blame.”
Gara Gombe pointed to the recurring pattern surrounding NFF election years, arguing that tensions and criticisms usually intensify when results go against the country.
He noted that Nigeria has repeatedly changed football administrators over the years without addressing the fundamental issues affecting the game. He has previously made a similar argument ahead of the 2026 NFF elections, warning that replacing another board without structural reform would not produce a different outcome.
The former administrator therefore called for sincerity and collective responsibility among stakeholders, insisting that the focus should be on identifying practical solutions rather than searching for individuals to blame after every failure.
His comments come amid renewed scrutiny of Nigerian football following a difficult period for the country’s national teams, including the Super Falcons’ WAFCON disappointment and the Flying Eagles’ defeat in the WAFU-B U-20 Championship final.
Gara Gombe believes those setbacks should instead serve as an opportunity for stakeholders to confront the deeper problems within Nigerian football.
He maintained that genuine reform would require fresh thinking, long-term planning and a willingness from football administrators and other stakeholders to address uncomfortable issues honestly.
For Gara Gombe, the priority should therefore be fixing the system rather than simply changing the people running it.
