Former Nigerian Football Federation executive and Rivers State Sports Commissioner, Barrister Chris Green, has sparked outrage ahead of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations after declaring that an AFCON title would mean nothing to Nigerians following the Super Eagles’ failure to reach the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Green dismissed the importance of the tournament in Morocco, saying the country has achieved nothing new even if the team lifts a fourth continental trophy. “Who cares about the Nations Cup?” he asked in an interview with Vanguard. “We have won AFCON three times, so there is nothing new about winning the AFCON.”
Nigeria will face Tanzania on 23 December in their opening fixture, but the public mood remains sour after the national team failed to qualify for the World Cup despite receiving a second chance through the playoffs.
Green accused the current NFF leadership of incompetence and said the nation’s football structure has collapsed. “The state of Nigerian football is not encouraging at all. It is in tattars,” he said. “We have a problem of competence. The people saddled with the responsibility of administering and developing the game are not capable. It appears openly that the job is beyond them.”
He claimed the federation has become invisible, with little communication or accountability to Nigerians despite football’s national importance. “How many people are really running football in this country? We don’t see the president most of the time. They are supposed to be reporting periodically to Nigerians because football is our national asset,” he said.
Green also accused the NFF of costing Nigeria its influence within CAF and FIFA. Using the controversial CAF Champions League match between Rivers United and Morocco’s RS Berkane as an example, he said Nigeria’s weak presence in African football has encouraged disrespect. “Even in CAF, we can’t hold our own anymore,” he said. “If we actually had people in CAF, they would expect Nigeria. They will fear Nigeria.”
He questioned the value of Nigerians occupying CAF and FIFA committee seats, describing their appointments as personal rewards with no benefit to the country. “Ok, those political people who got appointments to CAF and FIFA, of what bearing does their membership of those committees have on Nigeria? They are there in their individual capacities. I don’t consider that as an achievement for the country.”
On the pitch, Green criticised the federation’s reliance on foreign-born players, arguing that it has damaged the domestic game and removed pathways for Nigerian league players. “Now you have 100 per cent from outside. What does that show?” he asked. “We made sure the domestic league was in good shape because we depended more on the domestic players.”
He insisted the country needs a long-term development plan rather than chasing short-term tournament results. “If we win the AFCON and our football is in tatters, what does that mean for our football? It does not do us any good,” he said.
Green called for a national sports conference and a ten-year development roadmap that rebuilds the league, restores youth systems and strengthens Nigeria’s position in African football governance. “Let us look at ourselves and tell ourselves the naked truth,” he said. “We need total restructuring. Where will Nigerian football be in 2030, 2040 or 2050?”
