Nigeria has been absent from the CAF A-License Coaching Convention for nine years. The NFF says that changes in August, and only the best fifty coaches who apply will get through the door.
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Nigeria Football Federation general secretary Dr Mohammed Sanusi has announced that the country has been formally readmitted to the CAF A-License Coaching Convention, with the federation targeting August 2026 for the resumption of the elite coaching qualification programme on home soil for the first time in nine years, as reported by FootballInNigeria.com.ng.
Sanusi made the disclosure on Monday at the opening ceremony of a six-day CAF B-License coaches refresher course currently underway in Abuja, where he is serving as one of the programme’s instructors. He spoke on behalf of NFF president Alhaji Ibrahim Gusau, who is also the president of the West African Football Union zone B.
The Scale of the Gap Being Closed
Nine years without a CAF A-License course on Nigerian soil is a significant absence that has had measurable consequences for the country’s coaching development pipeline. The CAF A-License sits one step below the UEFA Pro Licence equivalent at continental level and is the standard required for coaches wishing to manage clubs in top-tier African domestic competition and qualify for CAF continental competitions. Without a local pathway to that qualification, Nigerian coaches have had to seek out the course in other African countries or go without it entirely, a logistical and financial barrier that has narrowed the pool of properly licensed coaches available to NPFL clubs and the national team setup.
Sanusi described Nigeria’s readmission to the convention as a significant development for the country’s coaches, stressing the importance of building capacity toward the highest level possible within the game. His message carried a direct urgency the technical department is actively working toward the August start, and the standard being set for admission will be deliberately high.
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Fifty Apply, Twenty-Five Get Through
Sanusi was explicit about the entry standards for the August course. He confirmed that fifty participants would apply but only twenty five would be admitted, with the selection process designed to ensure that only coaches meeting the highest preparation and commitment standards actually receive a place. His framing was clear rigorous standards now, but with an immediate commitment that a second course at the same level would be applied for as soon as the first concludes, keeping the door open for those who don’t make the initial cut.
That two course approach reflects a deliberate policy of expanding access rather than simply running a single exclusive event. The NFF’s intent appears to be using August’s cohort as a benchmark, and then building on it to progressively increase the number of Nigerian coaches holding the qualification in subsequent cycles.
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Part of a Wider Development Push
The A-License announcement sits within a broader context of federation activity around capacity building that has gathered pace this summer. Sanusi noted that the B-License refresher course currently running in Abuja is operating in parallel with a similar programme for referees, a dual-track approach that mirrors the federation’s stated commitment to developing both technical and officiating standards simultaneously rather than treating them as separate priorities.
Earlier this month, the NFF also concluded a FIFA Member Association Course for elite referees in Abuja, covering the latest amendments to the Laws of the Game ahead of their domestic implementation from 1 July. NFF president Gusau has additionally approved equipment to bring Video Assistant Referee training capabilities into Nigeria, aimed at upgrading the country’s match officials to the standard now expected at continental and global tournaments, where VAR literacy has become a core competency for any referee seeking selection.
Together, these initiatives form a picture of a federation attempting to rebuild its technical infrastructure across multiple departments at the same time, driven by a recognition that both coaching quality and officiating standards need to rise in parallel if Nigeria’s football is to reclaim the continental standing it has lost over the past decade.
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📌 Did You Know?
- The CAF A-License is the highest coaching qualification available through the Confederation of African Football’s own education system, sitting below only the CAF Pro Licence, which is equivalent to UEFA’s Pro Licence in the European system.
- Nigeria’s nine year absence from the CAF A-License Coaching Convention means an entire generation of Nigerian coaches has come of age without access to the qualification on home soil, forcing those seeking it to travel abroad at their own expense.
- Dr Mohammed Sanusi, who announced the August course at the B-License refresher event, also served as one of the instructors at the FIFA Member Association Course for referees held in Abuja earlier this month, reflecting his dual role in the federation’s capacity building efforts.
- Ibrahim Gusau, NFF president and WAFU Zone B president, approved the VAR training equipment move that will bring Video Assistant Referee upgrade facilities into Nigeria as part of the broader officiating development programme.
- The CAF B-License refresher course currently underway in Abuja has 50 participants enrolled, the same number Sanusi cited as expected applicants for the August A-License programme, underlining how the two courses are structured as sequential steps in a single development pathway.
- Nigeria’s ambition to return to continental and global football’s biggest stages under Eric Chelle is directly tied to the quality of coaching produced domestically, making the A-License programme’s return a structural necessity rather than an optional enhancement.
- The NFF’s commitment to applying immediately for a second A-License course after the August cohort completes is a notable policy shift, signalling intent to make the qualification a regular feature of Nigerian football education rather than a one off event.
