Support for former Super Eagles attacker Benedict Akwuegbu to lead the next board of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has gathered further momentum, as key stakeholders and former international players continue to rally around his ambition.
​Speaking at a media interactive session held at 10:00 AM on Monday, October 12, 2026, at the Sports Writers Association of Nigeria (SWAN) Secretariat in Lagos, former players and administrators emphasized the urgent need for structural reform in Nigerian football following the national team’s recent failure to secure back-to-back World Cup qualification berths.
​Among the latest prominent figures endorsing Akwuegbu, popularly known as the “Austrian Bomber”, are former Super Eagles defender Sam Sodje and Ibadan-based sports investor and business mogul Chief Olufemi Okulaja.
​Speaking on behalf of former international players during the briefing, Sam Sodje, an official with the Delta State Sports Commission and former defender for English side Brentford, underscored Akwuegbu’s blend of elite playing experience and academic pedigree.
​”Akwuegbu is a credible ex-footballer who has effectively combined elite-level football with top-tier education,” Sodje stated. “He is smart, fully educated, and carries extensive global experience across leagues. The era of uneducated administration in Nigerian football is over. All true stakeholders must unite behind the best candidate to rescue our football from grassroots to the top level.”
​Adding his voice to the growing endorsement list, Chief Olufemi Okulaja emphasized that appointing a tested, educated former international is the key to turning around the fortunes of Nigerian football.
​”Missing two consecutive World Cup finals confirms the critical state of our football,” Okulaja declared. “Akwuegbu is credible, tested, and offers us a real opportunity to correct past mistakes. The time for genuine administrative reform is now.”
​These new endorsements add to a rapidly swelling coalition of football heavyweights supporting Akwuegbu. Earlier endorsements came during stakeholder meetings on September 30 and October 4, 2026, in Jos and Delta State, featuring key voices including; Nwankwo Kanu, Former Super Eagles captain and African Legend.
Emmanuel Amuneke, Former Super Eagles star and veteran coach, Bitrus Bewarang: Former Chairman of the Nigeria Football Coaches Association and ex-NFF Technical Director, Onoriode Gold Omogufi: Former Super Eagles player and sports entrepreneur and Sam Pam Jnr & Sambo Choji: Ex-internationals and prominent regional football leaders.
​Akwuegbu, who represented Nigeria at the 2002 FIFA World Cup and starred for European clubs including Lens and Grazer AK, holds a BSc (Hons) degree and advanced qualifications from the United Kingdom.
With elections approaching, his campaign continues to position him as an articulate, educated bridge between grassroots football development and global sports governance.
