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WAFCON 2024: NFF President Ibrahim Gusau’s Spiritual Secret Exposed
By John Ideye, Abuja
The world is currently celebrating the victory of Nigeria’s Super Falcons at the just-concluded Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) 2024, held in Morocco.
The Falcons defeated the host nation, Morocco, in a historic comeback, ending the match with a 3–2 scoreline in Nigeria’s favor.
However, beyond the physical action everyone sees on the pitch, there is a great deal of spiritual preparation that goes into every game played by the Super Eagles, Super Falcons, and even the junior teams—thanks to the President of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), Ibrahim Gusau, who goes the extra mile for the teams in this regard.
Although many may believe that sports have nothing to do with God or spirituality, people like Ibrahim Gusau do not share that perspective. He believes that spiritual counsel has helped Nigeria’s football teams in numerous ways at various times. This is why some clubs perform rituals before tournaments—because sports, especially football, often intersect with spiritual beliefs and practices.
For NFF President Ibrahim Gusau, his trust has always been in God. One of his main spiritual channels is Primate Elijah Ayodele, the leader of the INRI Evangelical Spiritual Church.
Interestingly, Gusau is a practicing Muslim. His choice of Primate Ayodele as his spiritual advisor dates back to his campaign for the NFF presidency. While seeking support for the role, Primate Ayodele—who had never met Gusau personally—publicly predicted his victory. He warned then-president Amaju Pinnick not to seek another term and declared that Gusau had been divinely chosen to succeed him.
Gusau’s belief in Primate Ayodele’s prophetic ministry became evident when he welcomed the cleric to the NFF headquarters in 2022. He expressed his trust in Ayodele’s spiritual guidance, stating that his administration would continue to heed the prophet’s advice.
“I thank you for this important visit. I want to assure you that we will always listen to you. We believe in prayer, and we will continue to pray,” Gusau said.
“We will continue to pray. This is your time. If you said it and it came to pass, then my success is also your success. I know God will be with you, and I wish you good health. Under my leadership, I will not disappoint Nigerians and will do my best to get the best for Nigeria.”
Since then, Gusau has frequently been seen with Primate Ayodele, especially during the prophet’s annual thanksgiving service held every February.
At one such event, Gusau openly declared his unwavering support and appreciation for the prophet. He recounted how surprised he was to learn that someone who had never met him or even lived in the same city (as Gusau is not based in Lagos) could support him so strongly during his campaign for NFF president.
“One journalist sent me a video of Primate Ayodele during a press conference, speaking about the NFF election. He mentioned some of the contestants and said that, to him, the person who would become president was Ibrahim Gusau. The journalist was shocked because I’m not a Christian and had never met the prophet.
Consistently, he stood by his prophecy regarding football. To the glory of God, the election came, and I won. I felt I should take time to appreciate the man of God for his support. He visited me in Abuja, we spoke and ate together. There’s no way he would host an occasion like this, and I wouldn’t attend—it would mean I don’t appreciate God. We will continue to ask for your prayers and will not disappoint you.”
Since then, Gusau has regarded Primate Ayodele as his spiritual guide in football matters at all levels. The prophet’s counsel includes spiritual direction on players, coaches, and even the technical department.
Primate Ayodele often offers these insights privately to the NFF president. When he does, he shares specific details such as favorable minutes during a match, the opponents’ weaknesses, and strategies the Nigerian team can use.
In addition to personal counsel, Primate Ayodele is known for his prophetic warnings related to sports—particularly football. For example, during the launch of his annual prophecy book Warnings to the Nations (2025/2026 Edition) on Saturday, July 5, 2025, he predicted that the Super Falcons would reach the final, but warned they must be careful not to let the trophy slip from their grasp.
As it happened, the Super Falcons’ victory came by the grace of God after a dramatic comeback. They conceded two goals in the first half but equalized and eventually won. Late in the match, a penalty was awarded to Morocco, which could have sealed Nigeria’s defeat—but it was eventually overturned, and Nigeria triumphed.
Primate Ayodele has issued several warnings to Nigeria’s football authorities that later came to pass when ignored. In the last Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), which the Super Eagles lost in the final, he had repeatedly warned that the team might “see the cup but not touch it”—a prophecy that proved accurate.
Today, Primate Ayodele is widely regarded as the “spiritual father” of Nigerian football, and NFF President Ibrahim Gusau is leaving no stone unturned in ensuring that Nigeria’s football system continues to receive spiritual guidance.
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How Tinubu’s Government Is Suffering For Ignoring Primate Ayodele’s Early Prophecies On Insecurity
After swearing-in on May 29, 2023, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu received goodwill messages from renowned men of God, with many prophesying that his administration would be better, especially in terms of security.
Many of these messages were based on the earlier promise of the All Progressive Congress that the Vice President, Kashim Shettima, would tackle insecurity adequately for the country.
However, in the midst of these praises and goodwill messages, renowned prophet, Primate Elijah Ayodele, who is known for always revealing the future of any new administration, spoke in a prophetic message that went viral, that insecurity will be used as a great tool against Tinubu’s administration.
The prophet had been talking about another APC government since 2022, noting that Nigerians will face several economic hardships, and he was detested by the ruling party and its supporters because of this. They saw him as an opposition party when they were supposed to listen to his prophetic warnings. However, it happened; the major indices of the economy are energy and currency. The exchange rate and price of petrol have never been so much like it has been for the past three years now.
The prophet warned repeatedly that insecurity and the economy would be the major issues President Tinubu would face in his administration, but did they listen? Absolutely not, because if they did, some of the issues being faced in the country would have disappeared.
Beyond his statement before the election, Primate Ayodele continued to warn the government against insecurity, even as far as warning against an impending coup. The prophet had revealed that some powerful Nigerians are angry with the president and have planned to remove him unconstitutionally. Of course, they never believed this till it happened. If not for the prophetic security alert issued by the prophet, the president may have been removed when the coup came to light.
These were his warnings regarding the coup:
“There will be an attempt to unseat Tinubu unconstitutionally; the NSA, DSS, and Chief of Army Staff must be careful about this. There are some gangs planning between November to January to unseat him.”
Thankfully, they were arrested, and some of them have been detained.
More recently, there were attacks on some states on Easter Sunday, leading to the death of some Christians. This happened as a result of obstinacy on the part of security operatives because just days before it, Primate Ayodele specifically warned that some states would be attacked from Easter Sunday, and it did happen, with security operatives having nothing to do to stop the incident.
These were Primate Ayodele’s warnings.
“Our security operatives must watch Easter Sunday well because plans have been concluded to carry out attacks in seven states starting from that day.
“The states to watch out for include Kogi, Kwara, Ondo, Ogun, Nasarawa, Kebbi, and Kaduna.
“The security operatives must be extra vigilant in these states starting from Easter Sunday.”
Yesterday, there was an internal memo released by the Nigerian Customs Service that Boko Haram are planning to attack some prisons and airports in the country.
This corroborated the prophetic warning of Primate Ayodele, which he shared some weeks ago, regarding some prisons, specifically mentioning Kuje prison.
These were his words:
“Break jail is imminent, Kuje prison or they send a bomb into Kuje prison, it’s a midnight work…..”
Meanwhile, Primate Ayodele had warned that there are people sponsoring insecurity in President Tinubu’s government. He also urged him to name some of them in order to curb it, but this has yet to be done.
President Tinubu’s government would have been one of the best, but insecurity has tarnished it greatly, and the country is gradually returning to the days of daily killings; even Nigerian high-ranking soldiers are not spared. This insecurity has given the administration a bad record internationally, with the US naming Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern (CPC).
If the president had listened, Nigerians, and even the government, wouldn’t have suffered this much. However, it’s not too late for them to turn a new leaf.
There is a quiet misconception in many growing companies that vision alone is enough to sustain momentum. Founders are often the engine because they are decisive, driven and deeply involved. But what happens when the engine steps back?That question is where real companies are separated from fragile ones. Building something that outlives a founder is not about removing their influence; rather, it is about translating that influence into systems, repeatable, observable and transferable structures that do not rely on constant presence. Without this, growth becomes personality-dependent, and scale becomes inconsistent.At the early stage, founder-led execution works. Decisions are faster, direction is clearer, and there is less friction. But as the company grows, that same model becomes a bottleneck. Every approval, every escalation, every strategic shift begins to orbit one person. The business does not slow down because of external pressure; it slows down because its internal architecture cannot carry its own weight.Usually, “system” is often misunderstood. It is not just about tools, dashboards or policies. It is about designing how decisions are made, how information flows and how accountability is structured. It is about making sure that the logic behind actions is visible, not assumed.For example, a strong system answers questions before they become problems. What triggers a decision? Who owns it? What data informs it? What happens if it goes wrong?When these are unclear, teams default to escalation. When they are clear, teams operate with autonomy.This is where many founders hesitate. System-building feels like losing control. In reality, it is the only way to extend control without being physically present. It shifts leadership from being reactive to being embedded.One of the most overlooked aspects of building enduring systems is Documentation.Now, not as a formality but as a strategic asset. Decisions that are not documented become opinions. Processes that are not documented become inconsistent.Over time, this creates invisible friction. Teams solve the same problems repeatedly but differently each time.Documentation, when done well, becomes institutional memory. It ensures that the company remembers even when individuals move on.Another critical layer is Feedback Loops. Systems should not be static; they must evolve with the business. This requires structured ways to capture what is working, what is failing and what needs refinement. Without feedback loops, systems become outdated. With them, systems become adaptive.There is also a cultural dimension to it. Systems do not operate in isolation; people execute them. If the culture rewards speed over clarity, systems will be bypassed. If the culture values accountability, systems will be strengthened. The goal is alignment where systems reinforce behaviour and behaviour reinforces systems.In fast-moving industries, this becomes even more important, take fintech, for instance. The pace of regulatory change, market volatility and user expectations demands consistency under pressure.Companies that rely solely on founder instinct struggle to keep up, while those that invest in structured decision-making, risk management frameworks, and operational clarity are better positioned to adapt.This is something we are increasingly seeing in companies like FlashChange, where the focus is not just on growth, but on building operational resilience. The emphasis is shifting from “who is making the decision” to “how decisions are made.” That shift, while subtle, is very powerful. It creates a foundation that can support scale without losing direction.Ultimately, building systems that outlive founders is about redefining leadership. It is not measured by how many decisions a founder makes, but by how many decisions the organisation can make without them.The strongest companies are not those where the founder is always present. They are the ones where the founder’s thinking is quietly embedded, shaping actions, guiding priorities and influencing outcomes, even in their absence. That is how legacies are built.Not through constant control, but through systems that carry intent forward.About the AuthorBidemi Oke is the Chief Executive Officer of FlashChange, a fintech platform focused on secure digital asset exchange. He is an entrepreneur and vibrant leader, recognised for driving innovation and redefining access in the financial technology industry.
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PFL AFRICA TO BRING THE LARGEST MMA EVENT TO WEST AFRICA WITH HISTORIC NIGERIA DEBUT IN LAGOS ON JUNE 13
Nigeria’s Wasi Adeshina to Headline Historic Nigeria Event against Ignacio Campos
Patrick Ocheme Faces Octave Ayinda in Lightweight First Round Co-Main Event
The Professional Fighters League today announced the first pair of bouts as PFL Africa heads to Nigeria for the first time at the Eko Convention Center in Lagos on Saturday, June 13, 2026. The event will mark the largest MMA event in West African history, featuring the opening round of the PFL Africa bantamweight and lightweight tournaments, alongside showcase bouts highlighting top regional talent.
Headlining the event will be a featherweight Showcase Bout featuring Nigeria’s Wasi “The Nigerian Jaguar” Adeshina (10-3), who will compete in front of a home crowd in the main event against Spanish star Ignacio “Nacho” Campos (7-2). Adeshina enters as one of the notable local athletes on the card and will look to deliver a strong performance as PFL Africa lands in Nigeria for the first time. Campos, on the other hand, is coming off a big win over Mathys Duragrin at PFL Madrid last month.
The co-main event will feature a lightweight first round tournament bout between Nigeria’s Patrick “Star Boi” Ocheme (8-1) and Cameroon’s Octave “The Bantu Warrior” Ayinda (7-1). Ocheme will look to capitalize on the home advantage as he begins his tournament campaign, while Ayinda enters as a challenger aiming to secure a statement victory in the opening round.
“Making our West African debut in Lagos is a major milestone for PFL Africa, and one we’re incredibly excited about,” said Elias Schulze, General Manager of PFL Africa. “Nigeria brings incredible passion, culture, and talent, and Lagos is the perfect stage for this moment. The energy from the fans, the depth of local talent, and the opportunity to showcase it all on a global platform make this event truly special. We’re bringing elite competition to one of the most vibrant cities in the world, and highlighting the pride, colour, and intensity that define African MMA.”
Additional bouts for the PFL Africa: Nigeria – First Round card will be announced in the coming weeks.
PFL Africa: Nigeria – First Round card:
SuperSport (Africa – English) | Canal+ (Africa – French)
Saturday, June 13
Featherweight Showcase Main Event: Wasi Adeshina (10-3) vs. Ignacio Campos (7-2)
Lightweight Tournament First Round: Patrick Ocheme (7-1) vs. Octave Ayinda (8-1)
ABOUT PROFESSIONAL FIGHTERS LEAGUE
The Professional Fighters League (PFL) is a global mixed martial arts organization and one of the world’s leading combat sports properties. PFL produces live, premium MMA events broadcast and streamed to fans in more than 170 countries through an extensive network of international media partners. The organisation features a roster of professional fighters representing the highest levels of international mixed martial arts competition.
Headquartered in the United States, PFL holds events across North America, Europe, the Middle East, and Africa, with continued global expansion underway. PFL is backed by leading institutional investors and professional sports team owners, reflecting the accelerating growth of MMA as a mainstream global sport.
For more information, visit PFLmma.com and follow PFL at Facebook.com/PFLmma and @PFLMMA on X, Instagram, and TikTok.
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