Nigeria reinstated into CAF A Coaching Convention after nine-year wait
Nigeria has received a major boost in football coaching development after the Confederation of African Football officially reinstated the country into the CAF A Coaching Convention.
The development clears the way for the Nigeria Football Federation to resume CAF A Licence coaching courses for the first time since 2017, ending a frustrating nine-year absence from one of the continent’s top coaching certification programmes.
CAF confirmed the approval in a letter addressed to the NFF on Wednesday, with Coaching Education Project Manager Jaida Zakaria revealing that the federation’s submitted curriculum had met the required standards.
“We are pleased to inform you that the CAF A course curriculum submitted by NFF has been approved. You can now proceed with submitting a request for a CAF A course through the CMS, subject to an inspection visit,” the letter read.
The announcement has been greeted with excitement within the Nigerian football community, especially among coaching administrators who have long pushed for the country’s return to the elite convention.
NFF Head of Coaching Education, Dr Terry Babatunde Eguaoje, described the breakthrough as a landmark moment for football development in Nigeria.
“This is truly huge, after nine years! Admission into the CAF A coaching convention is a big deal. This is in addition to the CAF D, C, and B that had been approved at various times by CAF,” he said.
NFF General Secretary Dr Mohammed Sanusi also welcomed the decision, stressing that preparations would begin immediately for the country’s first CAF A Licence course in nearly a decade.
“We are elated by this positive development for the cause of coaching in our country. The NFF will commence preparations in earnest to put logistics in place for the first CAF A-License coaching course in this country since 2017,” Sanusi stated.
In recent years, the federation has intensified efforts to improve coaching education across different levels. Last year, the NFF organised a four-month CAF B Licence course involving about 25 coaches, alongside a CAF D Licence programme.
The federation also made history in 2024 by staging Nigeria’s first-ever CAF C Licence course exclusively for women, with 30 female coaches from across the country participating in the groundbreaking initiative.
With the CAF A pathway now reopened, Nigerian coaches once again have access to one of Africa’s highest coaching qualifications, a move expected to strengthen technical development across the nation’s football ecosystem.
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