Governing Bodies
New NFF board sworn in
The set of board members to administer Nigerian football and possibly steer the Super Eagles to the World Cup 2026 has been sworn in.
The new board headed by Ibrahim Musa Gusau was on Friday elected at the congress held in Benin.
Until Friday afternoon, Gusau was Chairman of Chairmen of Nigeria Football, and also Chairman of the Zamfara State Football Association. He defeated Seyi Akinwunmi, who until Friday afternoon was the NFF’s 1st Vice President, by polling 21 votes to Akinwunmi’s 12 in the first round.
Akinwunmi, who is Chairman of the Lagos State Football Association, announced his withdrawal just before the run-off was to take place, just as Mallam Shehu Dikko (who polled 6 votes) and Alhaji Abba Abdullahi Yola (1 vote).
However, former international goalkeeper Peterside Idah (1 vote in round one) refused to step down and earned another 1 vote in run-off, as Gusau coasted home with 39 votes.
The 58 –year old Gusau is a qualified accountant and a Safety and Security Officer for the Confederation of African Football.
The race for the presidency, which had 11 contestants, was whittled down before the ballot as Mazi Amanze Uchegbulam withdrew few days to the poll, while Musa Amadu, Suleiman Yahaya-Kwande and Adam Mukhtar Mohammed pulled out just before the vote inside the auditorium.
Felix Anyansi-Agwu, long-term Chairman of two-time CAF Champions League winners Enyimba FC, swept to the 1st Vice President position by with a 23-8 vote trashing of Obinna Ogba, a serving senator and Chairman of the Senate Committee on Youth and Sports Development).
Yusuf Ahmed Fresh was unopposed for the position of Chairman of Chairmen, just as Sharif Rabiu Inuwa had an easy ride picking a slot from the North West without any opposition.
Margaret Icheen was elected from the North Central zone, edging incumbent Mohammed Alkali by 22 votes to 19 in a run-off, just as incumbent Babagana Kalli and newman Timothy Henman Magaji succeeded in the North-East race.
Essien Udofot and Ms Aisha Falode won the two seats available from the South-South after an interesting run-off saw Essien taking 19 votes to Falode’s 13, with first-round leader Poubeni Ogun ejected with seven votes.
The race for seats from the South-East zone was suspended on a technicality, but Sunday Dele-Ajayi made a return to the NFF Board from the South West just as Ganiyu Majekodunmi retained his seat. Dele-Ajayi and Majekodunmi earned 12 votes each in the run-off, with Gafar Liameed third with seven votes and Afolabi Taiwo Olugbenga in fourth place with four votes.
The momentous event that lasted well into the night was witnessed by three officials of world football-governing body, FIFA: Gelson Fernandes, Solomon Mudege and Ahmad Mohamed Mukhtar Harraz.
Felix Majani was the eye of the Confederation of African Football.
Mohammed Baba Abdullahi represented the Nigeria Olympic Committee.
The Deputy Governor of Edo State, Philip Shaibu declared the event open.
World football governing body, FIFA, today clocks its 122nd anniversary, celebrating more than a century of overseeing and expanding the global game.
Founded on May 21, 1904, in Paris, France, FIFA began with just seven member associations — France, Belgium, Denmark, the Netherlands, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland.
From that modest beginning, the organisation has grown into the most influential sports governing body in the world, with 211 member associations spread across all continents.
Over the decades, FIFA has transformed football into a truly global phenomenon through competitions such as the FIFA World Cup, Women’s World Cup, Club World Cup, youth tournaments, and developmental programmes aimed at growing the game worldwide.
The organisation has also witnessed remarkable milestones, including the expansion of the men’s World Cup from 13 teams in 1930 to 48 teams beginning from the 2026 edition to be jointly hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
FIFA’s journey has equally reflected football’s growing influence beyond sport, with the game becoming a major tool for diplomacy, social inclusion, youth empowerment, and economic development across the world.
As FIFA celebrates 122 years of existence, attention is now focused on the future of the game, technological innovations, expanded competitions, women’s football growth, and the continued globalisation of football.
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UEFA has issued a lifetime ban to Petr Vlachovsky, a Czech women’s soccer coach who secretly filmed his players, the governing body announced on Tuesday.
Czech media reported that the coach was convicted in May 2025 and initially received a suspended one-year prison sentence and a five-year domestic coaching ban for filming FC Slovacko’s players in changing rooms, the youngest of whom was 17.
In a statement, UEFA’s Control, Ethics and Disciplinary Body (CEDB) said it had decided to ban Vlachovsky “from exercising any football-related activity for life” following the appointment of an Ethics and Disciplinary Inspector to investigate allegations of potential misconduct.
“The CEDB further decided to request FIFA to extend the abovementioned ban on a worldwide level and to order the Football Association of the Czech Republic to revoke Mr Petr Vlachovsky’s coaching licence,” the statement added.
FC Slovacko did not immediately respond to an emailed request for comment.
Football players’ union FIFPRO welcomed the ban as well as UEFA’s request for world soccer governing body FIFA to impose an international ban on Vlachovsky.
“This outcome sends a strong and necessary message that abusive and inappropriate behaviour has no place in football and that safeguarding the well-being of players must remain a priority at every level of the game,” FIFPRO added in a statement.
Vlachovsky had also previously served as coach of the Czech women’s Under-19s team.
RELATED STORY: https://sportsvillagesquare.com/2026/04/08/outrage-as-male-coach-who-secretly-filmed-women-players-still-free-to-work-in-football/
-Reuters
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Southampton have been kicked out of the Championship playoff final after being found guilty of spying on semi-final opponents Middlesbrough, the English Football League said on Tuesday.
Middlesbrough, who lost 2-1 to Southampton on aggregate in the semi, have been reinstated and will face Hull City on Saturday in what is dubbed the world’s richest soccer match.
Promotion to the Premier League, even with an immediate relegation, is estimated to be worth in the region of 200 million pounds ($268.10 million) over three seasons.
Southampton, who admitted the charges, were also found guilty of filming training sessions involving Oxford United in December and Ipswich Town in April during the regular season.
They have also been deducted four points from the start of next season in England’s second tier.
“An Independent Disciplinary Commission has today expelled Southampton from the Championship play-offs after the club admitted multiple breaches of EFL regulations related to the unauthorised filming of other clubs’ training,” the EFL said.
“Southampton admitted breaches of Regulations requiring Clubs to act with the utmost good faith and prohibiting the observation of another Club’s training session within 72 hours of a scheduled match.
“The effect of today’s order is that Middlesbrough are reinstated into the 2026 play-offs and will proceed to the play-off final against Hull City. The final remains scheduled for Saturday 23 May, with the kick-off time to be confirmed.”
The EFL confirmed that Southampton could appeal against the decision and that “parties are working to try and resolve any appeal on Wednesday 20 May.
“Subject to the outcome, it could result in a further change to Saturday’s fixture,” the statement said.
‘BORO CALLED FOR SOUTHAMPTON EXPULSION
Middlesbrough had called for Southampton’s expulsion after having a training session at their Rockliffe Park site filmed 48 hours ahead of the first leg of their playoff semi-final with Southampton which ended 0-0.
The north-east club said they welcomed the decision.
“We believe this sends out a clear message for the future of our game regarding sporting integrity and conduct,” the north Middlesbrough said in a statement.
“As a club, we are now focused on our game against Hull City at Wembley on Saturday.”
Southampton were relegated from the Premier League last season and were struggling in the early part of this campaign until a storming finish in which they went unbeaten in 19 league games to finish fourth and enter the playoffs.
The south-coast club are the first to fall foul of the Football League’s regulation 127 — brought in after Leeds United were found guilty of spying on Derby County seven years ago, an offence for which they were fined 200,000 pounds.
-Reuters
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