World Cup Qualification: Gara Gombe Defends Gusau, Says Current NFF Inherited Deep-Rooted Problems

World Cup Qualification: Gara Gombe Defends Gusau, Says Current NFF Inherited Deep-Rooted Problems

By Admin 

Former Gombe United Chairman Ahmed Shuaibu Gara Gombe has defended Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) President Ibrahim Musa Gusau against criticism over the Super Eagles' failure to qualify for the FIFA World Cup, while alleging that former NFF President Amaju Pinnick continues to exert significant influence over Nigerian football, BSNSports.com.ng reports.

In a statement issued in Abuja, Gara Gombe, who is also the founder and Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Athletics and Other Sports Development Commission, an advocacy group promoting transparency and accountability in sports, argued that Gusau should not be held solely responsible for Nigeria's World Cup qualification failure.

He said recent comments allegedly made by Pinnick during an interview on Arise Television supported his long-held position that the current NFF leadership inherited longstanding challenges within Nigerian football.

According to Gara Gombe, Pinnick's reported description of himself as a "life president" of the NFF and his disclosure that he maintains regular contact with Super Eagles players raise questions about the extent of the former football administrator's continued involvement in the affairs of the national team.

He argued that the remarks suggest Pinnick still wields considerable influence within Nigerian football despite leaving office more than four years ago.

Gara Gombe questioned whether any former football federation president elsewhere in the world would publicly describe himself in similar terms, saying such comments created the impression that Pinnick considers himself indispensable to the administration of Nigerian football.

He also alleged that Pinnick's reported admission of maintaining regular communication with Super Eagles players indicated continued access to, and influence over, members of the national team.

The former Gombe United chairman further referenced Pinnick's previous public statement in which he allegedly said he instructed former Super Eagles coach Gernot Rohr to include what he described as "my player, my quota" in Nigeria's squad for the 2018 FIFA World Cup. Gara Gombe argued that the comment fuelled concerns about administrative interference in player selection during Pinnick's tenure.

He also criticised the former NFF president for allegedly failing to intervene publicly when Super Eagles players reportedly threatened to boycott Nigeria's FIFA World Cup qualifying play-off over unpaid bonuses and allowances, contending that Pinnick should have used his reported influence to help resolve the dispute.

Defending the current NFF leadership, Gara Gombe maintained that Gusau inherited deep-rooted structural and administrative challenges upon assuming office and has been working to stabilise the federation.

He argued that many of the issues affecting the Super Eagles predate the present administration and warned that unless Nigerian football addresses its underlying problems, the country risks missing qualification for the 2030 FIFA World Cup.

Gara Gombe further alleged that individuals associated with previous shortcomings in Nigerian football were attempting to shift responsibility for the World Cup failure to the current NFF leadership.

He called for greater transparency, accountability and honest reflection within the sport, insisting that Nigerian football must confront the underlying causes of its recent setbacks rather than resort to what he described as political scapegoating.

As of the time of filing this report, neither the Nigeria Football Federation nor former NFF President Amaju Pinnick had publicly responded to Gara Gombe's allegations.