Former Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) First Vice-President, Barrister Seyi Akinwunmi, has urged Nigerians to look beyond the National Sports Commission (NSC) when apportioning blame for the Super Eagles’ lacklustre performance against Guinea-Bissau.

His comments come amid renewed scrutiny of Nigerian football following a series of disappointing national-team results and wider concerns over the administration and development of the game. 

Akinwunmi acknowledged the disappointment generated by the team’s performance, describing the result as unacceptable to Nigerian football fans, but argued that the problems confronting the national teams did not begin under the current NSC leadership.

According to him, Nigeria’s present football difficulties are the consequence of structural problems that have accumulated over several decades, rather than the product of decisions taken in recent months.

He pointed to what he described as neglected sporting facilities, weak grassroots development pipelines and deficiencies in football administration as some of the longstanding issues affecting the country’s football ecosystem.

“Your pain, frustration, and passion are entirely justified,” Akinwunmi said.

He, however, urged Nigerians to distinguish between the immediate symptoms seen on the pitch and the deeper institutional problems that have affected Nigerian football for years.

“Where you and I must diverge, is where you confuse the symptoms on the pitch with the root cause,” he said, while arguing against directing blame at current administrators for problems that predate them.  

Akinwunmi maintained that successive administrations and governments had operated within an environment where longstanding structural deficiencies were not adequately addressed.

He said the frustration generated by poor results and qualification setbacks was understandable, but argued that individual match outcomes should not obscure the wider challenges confronting the sport.

The former NFF vice-president also defended the current NSC leadership against what he considered blanket criticism, saying the commission had begun implementing structural reforms aimed at addressing longstanding deficiencies.

“Unlike past eras defined by fire-brigade fixes and short-term window dressing, the current NSC has taken deliberate, unprecedented steps to tackle the institutional rot,” he said.  

Akinwunmi nevertheless called for accountability alongside support for the reform process, stressing that Nigerians should continue to demand results from those entrusted with managing the country’s sports institutions.

Addressing the situation for Akinwunmi requires a longer-term approach focused on infrastructure, talent development and institutional reform rather than assigning responsibility for every poor result to the current sports authorities.

He urged stakeholders to support genuine reforms while maintaining scrutiny of their implementation, expressing the view that sustained structural intervention could help Nigeria reverse the decline in its football fortunes.