NFF President Sends Message to Gianni Infantino Ahead of FIFA Verdict on World Cup Case
- The President of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) sent a message to FIFA President Gianni Infantino
- Infantino celebrated 10 years as FIFA President, having taken over from acting president Issa Hayatou in 2016
- The message comes as Nigeria awaits FIFA’s verdict on its 2026 World Cup case against DR Congo
The President of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), Alhaji Ibrahim Gusau, has sent a message to FIFA President Gianni Infantino.
Infantino marked his 10th year anniversary as FIFA President on February 25, 2026, since he took over from acting president Issa Hayatou in 2016.
Source: Getty Images
As noted by BBC Sports, the late former CAF President Hayatou became the federation’s president after Sepp Blatter was kicked out in 2015 over corruption allegations.
According to FIFA, he won the election for another four-year tenure in 2023 and will serve until 2027 at least, when another election would be held.
NFF president sends message to Infantino
NFF President Ibrahim Gusau, through a video message on the federation’s X page, extended Nigeria’s congratulations to Infantino on his 10 years anniversary.
Gusau applauded the Swiss for bringing transformation to global football and promised that Nigeria would remain firmly in his support for more changes.
“My dear president Gianni Infantino, I want to use this opportunity on behalf of football stakeholders in Nigeria to congratulate you on your 10 years anniversary in charge of global football,” he said.
“These 10 years have brought a lot of transformation into the football sector globally. We are therefore proud to be part of you, and we are reassuring you that we will continue to be part of you because we know your mission, and we know that you're going to do more, especially for African football and Nigeria.
“Therefore, we want to assure you that we are going to continue to support you, we are going to continue to be with you, so that you will continue to bring more transformation into global football. Happy 10 years anniversary.”
The message and the manner in which it was delivered come as the NFF awaits FIFA's verdict on its World Cup case against the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Source: Getty Images
NFF wants DR Congo kicked out of the 2026 World Cup intercontinental playoff for misleading FIFA into approving the nationality switch of Aaron Wan-Bissaka and others.
There are uncertainties on whether the playoff will proceed in Mexico after violence erupted in Guadalajara and other Mexican cities following the death of cartel leader El Mencho.
Infantino, during a recent visit to Colombia, expressed confidence in Mexico and assured fans that the planned playoffs and World Cup are expected to go ahead.
FIFA will only consider stripping Mexico of the hosting rights as a last-minute resort if the chaos continues.
NSC’s update on Nigeria's World Cup case
Legit.ng reported that the NSC provided an update on the ongoing case against DR Congo as FIFA remains tight-lipped over the verdict.
NSC chairman Shehu Dikko admits that competitively, the Super Eagles are out of the running, but the legal technicalities could bring them back in.
Source: Legit.ng
