RismadarVoice Reporters
May 7, 2026
Nigeria has received a major boost in football coaching development following its official readmission into the Confederation of African Football (CAF) A Coaching Convention, ending nearly a decade of inactivity in the country’s top-tier coaching certification programme.
The development clears the way for the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) to resume CAF A-License coaching courses, a key qualification regarded as one of the highest coaching certifications on the continent.
CAF Coaching Education Project Manager, Jaida Zakaria, confirmed that the NFF’s CAF A coaching curriculum had been approved, granting the federation permission to move ahead with organising the programme, subject to final inspection.
Reacting to the approval, NFF Head of Coaching Education, Terry Babatunde Eguaoje, described the breakthrough as a significant milestone for Nigerian football.
“This is huge for us after nine years of waiting,” Eguaoje said, noting that Nigeria had previously secured approvals for CAF D, C and B coaching licences in recent years.
NFF General Secretary, Mohammed Sanusi, also welcomed the development, revealing that preparations would commence immediately for Nigeria’s first CAF A-License coaching course since 2017.
The return of the CAF A programme is expected to strengthen technical capacity within Nigerian football by providing local coaches with fresh opportunities to obtain elite continental certification without travelling abroad.
Football stakeholders believe the move will contribute significantly to the growth of coaching standards in the country and enhance the development of players across all levels of the game.
