The race to lead Nigerian football has opened up following Ibrahim Gusau’s resignation as Nigeria Football Federation president on Thursday. Several names have emerged as contenders for the vacant office, or for a proposed interim normalisation committee, with the National Sports Commission understood to be weighing its options, PETER AKINBO writes
Kunle Soname
Kunle Soname, the founder of Bet9ja and owner of Nigeria Premier Football League champions Remo Stars, is being touted by sections of the football community as a possible candidate and frontrunner. The 60-year-old became the first Nigerian to own a European club when he acquired Portuguese side Clube Desportivo Feirense, in addition to the second-tier outfit Beyond Limits and Remo Stars Ladies.
Under his ownership, Remo Stars won their first NPFL title in the 2024/25 season, and government officials have repeatedly cited the club as a benchmark for private investment in the domestic game. Soname was also a former chairman of a local government area in Lagos State.
His case rests on his record of building sustainable footballing infrastructure with his own resources, something the NFF has historically struggled to do, though he has no prior experience running a national federation.
