BY KUNLE SOLAJA

Nigeria’s football house should be in a celebratory mood today. By every traceable historical account, the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), originally the Nigeria Football Association (NFA), is 92 years old. Yet, in a strange twist of institutional amnesia, the federation does not recognise this milestone, preferring instead to cling to the notion that it was “founded in 1945.”

That contested date is boldly displayed on the NFF’s crest, despite the absence of any verifiable founding event in 1945.

Instead, research by Sports Village Square and corroborated archival materials confirm that the country’s football governing body came into being on Monday, 21 August 1933, at No. 42 Broad Street, Lagos—a building that still stands today.

The evidence is both clear and overwhelming. Reports of the foundation meeting were published in the Daily Times of 25 August 1933. Records at the National Archives in Ibadan and the Football Association (FA) offices in London further reinforce the claim.

Indeed, minutes of the FA meeting of 4 June 1934 explicitly state that “The Nigeria Football Association was admitted to membership under Rule 5 of the Rules of Association.”

The Daily Times of 14 September 1934 also reported the affiliation, confirming that Nigeria’s football governing body was recognised internationally long before 1945.

So where did the myth of 1945 originate?
It appears to stem from the beginning of the Governor’s Cup—now the President Federation Cup—in 1945. But that, too, is a distortion of history.

The first three editions of the tournament were not organised by the NFA but by the Lagos and District Amateur Football Association (LDAFA), founded in 1932 by Henry A. Porter, who also spearheaded the creation of the NFA a year later.

Porter became the NFA’s first President, with Sir Adeyemo Alakija, Frederick Baron Mulford, and Dr. Isaac Oluwole serving as Vice Presidents, while James Mead of the United Africa Company acted as Secretary/Treasurer. Their first Annual General Meeting took place on 19 February 1934, also documented by the Daily Times.

Despite these verifiable historical records, successive NFA/NFF regimes since 2003 have been reluctant to embrace the 1933 foundation date.

Officials fear a backlash from the international football community, worried that acknowledging an “older age” might invite criticism of past ignorance.

Yet, to historians and purists, the refusal to accept the evidence does more harm than good. It leaves the NFF celebrating milestones on shaky ground while sidelining the true pioneers of Nigerian football administration.

For now, the paradox remains: the NFF is 92 years old today, inching towards its centenary. But in its own records, it is still only 80.

One day, as the facts continue to stare it in the face, Nigeria’s football establishment may finally reconcile with its true history.

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By KUNLE SOLAJA.

The funeral arrangements of former Nigerian goalkeeper, Peter Rufai, who died on 3rd July, will begin on Thursday.

Coincidentally, it is the 92nd anniversary of the actual foundation of the Nigerian football ruling body, which erroneously believed it was founded on an unknown date in 1945 instead of 21 August 1933.  

According to details released by the family, the programme will open with a service of songs and the presentation of Rufai’s biography at the Raji Rasaki Estate field, Amuwo-Odofin, Lagos, from 4:30 pm to 7:00 pm.

The funeral mass will be held the next day, Friday at the Catholic Church of Visitation, First Avenue in Festac Town, Lagos. Interment will follow at Ikoyi Cemetery in Lagos. On Sunday, there will be thanks Thanksgiving service at the Catholic Church of Visitation.

The following day, Friday, August 22, a funeral mass will be held at the Catholic Church of Visitation, First Avenue, Festac Town, after which Rufai will be laid to rest at the Ikoyi Cemetery, Lagos.

The rites will conclude on Sunday, August 24, with a thanksgiving service at the Catholic Church of Visitation in Festac Town.

Rufai, fondly known as “Dodo Mayana,” was one of Nigeria’s most celebrated goalkeepers, representing the country at two FIFA World Cups (1994 and 1998) and winning the Africa Cup of Nations in 1994.

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The Nigeria Women’s Football League (NWFL) has confirmed that Abia State will host the 2025 edition of the NWFL Championship, scheduled to run from September 11 to 21, 2025.

According to a press release by Samuel Ahmadu, the Media Director of Nigeria Women’s Football League, the  Championship, which serves as the second tier of women’s football in Nigeria, will feature 17 clubs competing for four promotion slots to the elite NWFL Premiership for the 2025/2026 season.

The NWFL Chief Operating Officer, Modupe Shabi, adds that the competition will maintain the highest standards of fair play and integrity, ensuring a transparent pathway for aspiring clubs.

“We want to assure all participating teams that the Championship will be conducted under the highest standards of fair play, with a level playing ground for everyone involved,” Shabi said in a statement on Monday. “Our commitment is to ensure that the competition reflects the values of transparency, integrity, and sporting excellence.”

Teams are expected to arrive in Abia State on September 11, with the draws and pre-match meetings scheduled for September 12. The first round of matches will kick off on September 13, continuing until September 21, with rest days built into the schedule to allow for player recovery.

Venues and Format

All fixtures will be staged at the Abiriba Stadium and the Umuahia Township Stadium.

The 17 clubs will be drawn into four groups, with the winners of each group automatically gaining promotion to the NWFL Premiership.

The participating teams areSunshine Queens FC, Osun Babes FC, Royal Queens FC, Pelican Stars FC and Ghetto Tigers FC. The others are: Wazbak Int’l FC, Castmog Ladies FC, Chosen Generation Angels FC, Imo Striker Queens FC and Unification FC.

Also featuring are: Delta Babes FC, Ahudiyannem Queens FC, First Mahi Babes FC, Fortress Ladies FC, Kwara Ladies FC, Moje Queens FC and Gallant Queens FC.

The tournament follows the successful staging of the 2024/25 NWFL Premiership Super 6 earlier this year in Ikenne, underscoring the league body’s efforts to expand opportunities for women’s football development across the country.

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