FIFA Normalisation Committee: Gombe FA Boss Demands Sweeping NFF Reforms
Gombe State Football Association chairman Yakubu Sarma has backed FIFA’s decision to appoint a normalisation committee to oversee Nigerian football, warning that the intervention must address deep-rooted structural problems within the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF).
The committee is expected to manage the federation’s affairs until May 31, 2027, following a prolonged leadership crisis that has exposed divisions among football stakeholders.
Sarma said the crisis could have been resolved through domestic mechanisms but blamed poor crisis management and administrative failures for FIFA’s intervention.
While pledging support for the committee, he insisted that the NFF Congress must retain its central role in the federation’s governance.
He also called for comprehensive reforms covering the NFF’s funding, legal framework and administration, arguing that leadership changes alone would not guarantee lasting stability.
“Competence should always be at the centre of all arguments,” Sarma said, stressing that the ability to lead Nigerian football should take precedence over regional considerations.
He warned that without stronger institutional structures, the federation could face another crisis regardless of who occupies its leadership positions.
Meanwhile, Harrison Jalla, chairman of the Advocacy for Nigeria Football Reform Concept, said most stakeholder groups consulted by FIFA supported the establishment of a normalisation committee.
Jalla said players, coaches and referees backed the intervention, although state FA chairmen favoured a different approach.
The contrasting positions highlight continuing disagreements over the best path to resolving Nigerian football’s governance crisis.
The committee’s success will depend on its ability to restore administrative stability, implement meaningful reforms and work within the NFF’s established governance framework.
