Former Director-General of the National Sports Commission, Alhassan Yakmut, has cautioned against the belief that former professional footballers should automatically take charge of the administration of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF).
Yakmut, who has extensive experience in Nigerian sports administration, said being a former professional footballer does not by itself guarantee the capacity to lead the country’s football governing body.
His comments come amid growing calls for greater involvement of former Super Eagles players and ex-internationals in the administration of Nigerian football as part of the ongoing NFF reform process.
Yakmut argued that former footballers who aspire to leadership positions within the federation should first understand the administrative structures and processes of football governance before seeking top positions.
According to him, former internationals need to “go and learn the ropes”, gain experience and properly integrate themselves into the football administration system before putting themselves forward for leadership.
The former NSC boss’ position adds another dimension to the ongoing debate over who should occupy leadership positions in the reformed NFF, with several former internationals publicly expressing interest in having greater representation in the running of Nigerian football.
Yakmut himself has considerable experience in football administration. He served as Executive Secretary of the Nigeria Premier League and was involved in the development and administration of the domestic game before becoming Director-General of the National Sports Commission in 2015.
His experience has also seen him work within different areas of Nigerian sports administration, including grassroots development and football league management.
The former administrator’s argument is that football knowledge and playing experience can be valuable, but effective administration requires additional skills, institutional understanding and experience.
The debate comes at a critical period for Nigerian football following the resignation of the NFF leadership and the push for comprehensive reforms covering governance, administration, stakeholder representation and football development.
With former internationals such as Mutiu Adepoju, Tijani Babangida and other ex-players advocating stronger roles for football stakeholders, the question of who should lead the federation is expected to remain central to the reform process.
Yakmut’s position, however, is clear: former professional footballers should not regard NFF leadership as an automatic entitlement; they must first acquire the administrative experience needed to effectively run the game.
