Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Professional Footballers Association of Nigeria, Harrison Jalla, has launched a scathing assessment of Nigerian football, warning that the country will continue to struggle unless sweeping changes are made to the structure of the Nigeria Football Federation.
Reacting to Nigeria’s failure to qualify for the FIFA World Cup for the second consecutive time, Jalla argued that the nation’s problems run far deeper than what happens on the pitch.
“Nigerian football will continue to suffer until the NFF gets its structures right,” Jalla said.
The football administrator insisted that meaningful progress can only be achieved when competent stakeholders are given greater responsibility in the administration of the game.
According to him, Nigeria’s absence from the World Cup is a reflection of long-standing governance issues rather than a lack of talent.
“We have the players, but the system is not working the way it should,” he added.
Jalla maintained that without structural reforms, the Super Eagles and other national teams risk falling further behind their continental rivals.
He urged those in charge of Nigerian football to address the root causes of the country’s struggles instead of focusing only on short-term solutions.
“Until the right stakeholders take over the running of our football, Nigeria will remain spectators at major tournaments,” he stated.
Nigeria’s failure to qualify for back-to-back FIFA World Cups has triggered widespread debate over the direction of football administration, with several former players and stakeholders calling for far-reaching reforms within the federation.
