By Tolulope Oguntimehin
This morning, I received an uplifting message from Mohammed Saliu of the NFF’s media department, informing me that the home-based Super Eagles have just completed another week of training.
The players will now return to their clubs for the upcoming Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) matches, before regrouping next week to prepare for the vital 2025 African Nations Championship (CHAN) qualifiers against Ghana in December. This update truly brightened my day.
Despite facing financial challenges, the NFF has successfully maintained a training camp for the team, a commitment that has been sorely lacking in Nigerian football for many years.
This extended training period will foster better team chemistry, which could prove crucial in our performance against Ghana, potentially securing our spot in the CHAN tournament after recent disappointments.
Whether one admires him or not, Gusau appears resolute in tackling the entrenched structural problems within Nigerian football. While progress may be gradual, it is unrealistic to expect the resolution of years of mismanagement within a single term.
Gusau’s strategy is evident: he is striving to ensure that the challenges faced by previous administrations do not obstruct the current board’s objectives.
Appointments such as Aliyu Zubaira have garnered positive feedback from journalists and stakeholders, and the inclusion of homegrown players in the Super Falcons roster under interim coaching reflects a renewed optimism for local talent.
Even the issues surrounding delayed allowances, bonuses, and salaries are slowly becoming a thing of the past. In every regard, Gusau is indeed transforming Nigerian football, with each initiative bringing us closer to a more robust and organized future.
