Super Eagles veteran and former captain Ahmed Musa has urged for a complete reform of Nigerian football, following Nigeria’s absence from the ongoing FIFA Club World Cup, both in club and refereeing representation.
Musa, who made the call via a strongly-worded post on X (formerly Twitter), expressed his dismay at the non-inclusion of Nigerian clubs and referees at the prestigious tournament, which features four African giants: Wydad Casablanca (Morocco), Al Ahly (Egypt), Mamelodi Sundowns (South Africa), and Esperance (Tunisia).
“I have been following the FIFA Club World Cup and my focus has been on the African clubs in the tournament,” Musa wrote.
“Apart from the excitement, the tournament is a money-spinner for the African clubs.”
He lamented that Nigeria’s domestic league—the Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL)—has fallen far behind its continental counterparts in terms of competitiveness, structure, and visibility.
“It’s a sober reflection if we compare the African clubs at the Club World Cup to our domestic league.
Can we compete at this level? What are we not getting right? We need to review the organization of the league, clubs’ structure, and funding. We need to set out new policies and drive the reforms.”
Musa acknowledged Nigeria’s abundant footballing talent, but stressed that raw ability alone is not enough to thrive in today’s football landscape.
“Our football has got abundance of talent and potential from the grassroots to the elite level, but these factors aren’t enough in a modern football system.”
On officiating, the former Leicester City and Al Nassr star also took aim at the lack of Nigerian referees on the global stage.
“Other African countries are producing referees for CAF and FIFA tournaments, but what do we have here?”
He concluded with a call for unity, urgency, and determination from all football stakeholders in the country, “We must collectively decide to make our football work, which will ensure that our clubs compete at the continental and world level. We must work hard to ensure our football meets global standards and organization.
Wishing all the African countries at the FIFA Club World Cup success.”
Nigeria’s last meaningful impact at continental club level came years ago, and no NPFL team has reached the CAF Champions League final since Enyimba’s back-to-back triumphs in 2003 and 2004. The country’s referees have also seen limited presence in major CAF and FIFA competitions.
Musa’s comments echo the concerns of many in the Nigerian football ecosystem, calling for urgent structural and administrative reform if the country hopes to reclaim its lost continental relevance.
