Tag: FIFA

The House of Representatives is to investigate the activities and accounts of the Nigerian Football Federation from 2015 to date, while resolving to take appropriate action aimed at enhancing transparency and accountability of NFF, with a view to restoring national and international confidence.

Adopting a motion of urgent public importance sponsored by Dr Adedayo Samuel Adesola (APC, Lagos and Nwaeke Felix Uche (PDP, Rivers), the House asked the leadership of NFF to appear before the House Committee on Sports with records of activities, receipts and disbursements of funds from 2015 to date.

Leading debate on the motion, Adesola recall recent lamentation of  former Super Eagles Captain Sunday Oliseh,  accusing the NFF of undermining the growth of soccer in Nigeria through misappropriation of grants from FIFA and CAF, citing the questionable handling of USD 1.0 Million NFF got from FIFA to prepare the Super Eagles for the 2002 World Cup.

He said between 2015 and 2025, NFF allegedly received development funds in excess of USD 25 Million from FIFA and CAF with nothing tangible on ground to justify the huge capital inflow from these soccer bodies.

He said “in December 2016, FIFA sent an audit query over the mishandling of US$1.1 development grant to NFF and reported that USS802,000 lacked proper documentation; prompting Sports Minister, Solomon Dalung to order an independent audit and asked NFF to account for receipts and disbursements.

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According to him, between 2018 and 2019, NFF officials (including the then President, Amaju Pinnick) faced public criticism and were subject of EFCC and ICPC probes and court actions tied to alleged mismanagement of various funds and sponsorship monies. One of these monies,  US$1.2 Million is the subject of a news item currently trending on the social media which NFF allegedly used to construct the Birnin Kebbi Stadium.

He said a physical inspection of the Stadium In Birnin Kebbi showed a substandard facility in terms of quality and quantity which cannot justify the sum of US$1.2 claimed to have spent on the project by the NFF,whereas Kenyan Football Federation used the same amount of grant to develop a standard and well-equipped facility, to further raise eye brows on the profligacy in NFF F.

He said with another African Cup of Nation round the corner and the World Cup play off, both involving the Super. Eagles of Nigeria, there is need to take decisive action on further misuse of public funds  by the leadership of NFF.

The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has refuted claims circulating on social media suggesting it misappropriated funds received from FIFA and the Confederation of African Football (CAF), Soccernet.ng reports.

This has arisen following the poor performance of Nigerian football on the continent and on the global stage.

In an official statement by the NFF, they clarified that the funds received from the two bodies [FIFA and CAF] are tied to specific development projects and are subject to regular auditing and financial oversight.

“The Nigeria Football Federation finds it expedient to reiterate that the monies it receives from the world football-governing body, FIFA and the continental governing body, CAF, like other Federations, are usually tied to specific purposes and not gifts to the Federations,” the NFF wrote.

The NFF said on Friday that this fresh clarification has become necessary in view of misinformation by some fellows on social media that the Federation ‘collects’ millions of dollars from FIFA on an annual basis, as if such monies were gifts to the Federation.

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“The country’s football-governing body explained that every monies received from FIFA or CAF is tied to a specific purpose, and both FIFA and CAF send their auditors to audit the accounts in which the money is received at the end of every year.

“The NFF also explained that monies meant for development purposes are usually tied to specific projects and programmes, while the FIFA Forward monies are also properly specified and under strict adherence to financial regulations, compliance, monitoring and auditing at every stage of the project or program.

“FIFA Forward projects, such as the ongoing NFF/FIFA Players’ Hostel and new training pitches inside the MKO Abiola National Stadium, are subjected to strict controls, monitored and verified at every stage of the work.

“Every stage is verified, assessed and sanctioned before further monies are released to the FIFA-approved consultants, to whom the monies are paid directly.”

World soccer ruling body, FIFA, has injected  over USD 1 billion into  African football through its FIFA Forward Programme since it was started in 2016.

This much  was  revealed  by FIFA President Gianni Infantino while speaking at the 47th  CAF Ordinary General Assembly in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo.

He  also spoke of football’s responsibility to give hope and dreams to the children of Africa as he addressed representatives of the continent’s 54 FIFA Member Associations (MAs).

CAF President Patrice Motsepe thanked FIFA for organising the FIFA Club World Cup 2025™ where four African teams – Al Ahly FC, Espérance Sportive de Tunis, Mamelodi Sundowns FC and Wydad AC – had the opportunity to play competitive matches against opponents from the rest of the world on a global stage.

Infantino added that players from 19 African nations had taken part in the FIFA Club World Cup, including nine which have never played at the FIFA World Cup™ – Burkina Faso, Congo, Gabon, Guinea, Mali, Mozambique, Namibia, Tanzania and Uganda.

 “(It was a) huge success this summer with four African teams. But almost, I would say, more important, with African countries represented in the 32 clubs from all over the world,” the FIFA President said.

FIFA embarked upon a new era of global football development when the FIFA Forward Programme was launched in 2016 to support the world football governing body’s 211 MAs and the confederations by funding infrastructure projects and competitions as well as operational costs.

The FIFA Forward investments in the Confederation of African Football (CAF), the African zonal/regional associations and the continent’s 54 MAs reached a total of USD 1.06 billion between the start of the programme in 2016 and the end of September 2025. From 2016 until the end of the current four-year cycle in 2026, the figures are estimated to reach USD 1.28 billion, including USD 1.08 billion for the 54 African MAs alone.

FIFA has also supported the development of African football by opening up more playing opportunities. An unprecedented nine, and possibly 10, African teams will play at the FIFA World Cup 26™, while 10 African teams will participate at the FIFA U-17 World Cup Qatar 2025™ and five will play at the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup 2025™, to be hosted in Morocco.

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Motsepe added: “It’s very important that we had the FIFA Club World Cup, Gianni (Infantino), thank you for the FIFA Club World Cup. And those four football clubs that represented us did very well and we’re confident that (in) the next one, they will do even better. And thanks for the huge sacrifices on your part.”

FIFA planned to open between 20 and 30 FIFA Academies by 2027 as part of the FIFA Talent Development Scheme (TDS), which aims to help all countries identify talented players and give them the coaching and facilities they need to shine, the FIFA President said. Meanwhile, the Football for Schools programme is now active in more than 40 African nations.

 “We would all love to become legends, like Samuel Eto’o, like (Emmanuel) Adebayor, or El Hadji Diouf, who are here, in the first row, Kalusha (Bwalya), all the others,”  Infantino added. “Not all of us have this talent and can make it, but all of us here in this room, we have the responsibility and the duty to work and to work hard, to give dreams, to give chances, and to give hope to all the children of Africa.”

He concluded: “I’m asking you all, as always, to be united, to continue to unite Africa, to continue to unite African football, because like this we will have a strong voice, all over the world, for a very, very bright future.”

A prominent stakeholder in Nigerian football, Prince Harrison Jalla, has raised strong objections to the forthcoming Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) congress scheduled to hold between September 25 and 27in Ibadan, Oyo State, warning that the process is designed to “rubber stamp a cosmetic amendment to the electoral process” and further entrench corruption in the game.

In a petition addressed to FIFA President through the General Secretary, Jalla alleged that the congress, which is expected to be attended by a FIFA delegation, is “a means to sustain the fraudulent and undemocratic structure where charlatans emerge every four-year cycle as leaders of Nigerian football.” He accused FIFA of providing cover for corruption while Nigerian football continues to decline.

Jalla stressed that the current electoral process remains sub judice following unresolved disputes from the September 2022 NFF elections. He pointed to Suit No: FHC/ABJ/CS/1376/2021 and Appeal No: CA/ABJ/CV/1006/2002, noting that a court order dated September 15, 2022 had restrained the NFF from conducting elections until the matter was resolved.

 “Since parties have already committed to the Nigerian judicial process, it would be contemptuous of Nigerian law if any third party—either by commission or omission—attempts to circumvent or undermine our judicial process,” Jalla warned, adding that such actions could attract criminal contempt proceedings even against FIFA officials.

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The football stakeholder also accused FIFA of ignoring long-standing corruption in Nigeria despite repeated complaints.

According to him: “It is mind-blowing that despite several complaints by Nigerian football stakeholders regarding the misappropriation, misapplication and massive corruption associated with FIFA annual grants… FIFA has deliberately shielded corruption in Nigeria for the last 10 years.”

Jalla further alleged that FIFA continues to preside over elections “consistently characterized by fraud, massive vote buying and other electoral malpractices,” while overlooking the misuse of FIFA Forward grants and other funding streams.

The petitioner  insists that matters of amendment to the NFF statutes fall strictly within the internal jurisdiction of the federation and not FIFA’s purview. Jalla urged FIFA to respect Nigeria’s judicial process and desist from actions that may undermine the rule of law.

 “All relevant information is attached for your urgent attention,” the letter concluded.

FIFA is set to distribute a record $355 million to clubs around the world as part of an expanded Club Benefits Programme (CBP) tied to the 2026 World Cup, according to the  soccer’s world governing body.

The initiative marks an increase of close to 70% from the $209 million paid out after the 2022 tournament in Qatar. For the first time, clubs that release players for World Cup qualifiers — not just the finals — will be compensated.

The initiative is part of a renewed memorandum of understanding between FIFA and the European Club Association (ECA) signed in March 2023, aimed at creating a more inclusive and equitable system for global club football.

Read Also: FIFA to distribute record $355 million to clubs for 2026 World Cup

“The enhanced edition of the FIFA Club Benefits Programme for the FIFA World Cup 2026 is going a step further by recognizing financially the huge contribution that so many clubs and their players around the world make to the staging of both the qualifiers and the final tournament,” FIFA President Gianni Infantino said in a statement.

The CBP was first introduced for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa. In 2022, 440 clubs from 51 FIFA member associations received payments under the programme.

With the 2026 edition set to include compensation for qualifiers, the number of benefiting clubs is expected to rise significantly.

ECA Chairman Nasser Al-Khelaifi called the programme “innovative.”

“Clubs play a pivotal role in the success of national team football,” he said. “This initiative recognizes every element of it, from early development through to release for the most important games.”

The 2026 World Cup runs from June 11 to July 19 in the U.S., Mexico and Canada.

• Launches extended  Sept –Oct break

FIFA has officially confirmed a significant change to the international match calendar, reducing the number of international windows from four to three. This reform aims to minimize disruptions to domestic football seasons by consolidating matches into fewer, longer breaks.

Beginning in the 2026–27 season, the annual autumn schedule will be overhauled: the traditional September and October breaks will merge into one extended 16-day window, running from September 21 to October 6, during which national teams will be able to play up to four matches. The long-standing nine-day windows in November and March—each accommodating up to two matches—will remain unchanged.

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According to FIFA, the decision follows extensive consultation with stakeholders and is designed to strike a better balance between domestic club football and international duties. By consolidating fixtures into fewer periods, the governing body hopes to reduce fixture congestion, limit long-distance player travel, and enhance both player welfare and the overall quality of competitions.

While some football federations have raised concerns about cramming more fixtures into fewer slots, FIFA maintains that this approach will do more to improve scheduling stability while still preserving opportunities for international competitions.