Former Nigeria international Sam Sodje has expressed relief after FIFA accepted the resignations of the Nigeria Football Federation leadership and backed the country’s ongoing reform roadmap.
Sodje described FIFA’s decision as an important step forward for Nigerian football but stressed that the next stage — establishing a normalisation committee — must be handled with great care.
He insisted that the committee must be made up of credible, experienced and knowledgeable individuals capable of guiding the country through the reform process.
“I’m relieved that FIFA has accepted the resignation of the NFF Executive Board and is backing the reforms roadmap,” Sodje said.
According to the former Super Eagles defender, Nigeria cannot afford to repeat the mistakes of the past at a time when the country has been presented with an opportunity to rebuild its football administration.
He particularly called for the inclusion of former professional footballers with extensive knowledge of the game, alongside other respected stakeholders with proven integrity.
“The normalisation committee has to be done properly. We need the right set of individuals and stakeholders,” he said.
Sodje stressed that those appointed must be people who can stand their ground and make decisions in the best interest of Nigerian football rather than simply accepting whatever is presented to them.
His comments come after FIFA accepted the resignations of Ibrahim Musa Gusau, Mohammed Sanusi and the NFF Executive Committee and agreed to continue working with Nigerian authorities and CAF on a comprehensive reform roadmap.
The development has opened the door for a fresh examination of the structure and governance of Nigerian football.
For Sodje, however, the success of the reform will depend heavily on who is entrusted with managing the transition.
He believes Nigeria now has an opportunity to establish a football administration built on competence, integrity and genuine understanding of the game.
The former international therefore urged stakeholders to ensure that the next steps are carefully considered, warning that the country cannot afford to waste the opportunity created by the current crisis.
With FIFA now engaged in the reform process, Sodje’s message is clear: Nigeria must get the next phase right if it is to achieve the meaningful change its football needs.
