Nigeria risks missing out on Africa’s growing futsal opportunities as Senegal and other countries strengthen their investment in the sport, raising concerns about the country’s approach to developing young football talent.
The warning comes amid FIFA’s disclosure that it has invested more than $100 million in futsal development since 2016, supporting over 100 projects worldwide through its Futsal World Cups and FIFA Forward development programme.
The investment covers infrastructure, competitions, national team development and the training of coaches and referees.FIFA highlighted the progress during the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games in Senegal, where the host nation demonstrated how investment in futsal could attract young players and strengthen football development
.FIFA Technical Study Group expert and former England futsal coach, Graeme Dell, said the standard of competition had improved considerably since the inaugural Youth Olympic futsal tournament in Buenos Aires in 2018.
“One of the biggest developments since 2018 is that more teams now have a clear strategy and play to a game plan, particularly among the top teams, because they have the technical ability to do so,” Dell said. Senegal’s development programme offers an example of what sustained investment could achieve in Africa.
The Senegalese Football Federation has invested in youth national teams and secured FIFA support for a dedicated futsal playing surface.The federation’s president, Abdoulaye Fall, said the country planned to expand its facilities and organise more domestic competitions.
“We’re going to work to expand that too, within the context of our development, to have the largest number of pitches at national level, and then to organise national tournaments in collaboration with the technical teams,” Fall said.
FIFA Head of Olympics, Futsal and Beach Soccer, Kasra Haghighi, also praised Senegal’s commitment to developing young players.”The Senegalese Football Association has invested for several years in developing its national futsal teams in this age category,” Haghighi said.
He added that the FIFA-supported futsal playing surface would provide lasting infrastructure for the next generation of Senegalese talent. For Nigeria, the developments raise questions about the attention given to futsal by the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF).
Despite its large population, strong football culture and abundance of young talent, Nigeria needs a structured approach to developing the sport through dedicated facilities, specialised coaching, qualified referees and regular youth competitions.The NFF could use FIFA’s development framework to establish programmes through schools, grassroots academies and state football associations.
Regular age-grade competitions and national leagues would give young players opportunities to develop technical skills, improve decision-making and gain international experience.Beyond producing specialist players, futsal could also strengthen Nigeria’s wider football development through improved ball control, quick passing and movement in confined spaces.
Senegal’s progress demonstrates that financial support must be matched by infrastructure, consistent competitions and long-term commitment. For Nigeria, the challenge is to turn its abundance of young talent into a sustainable futsal programme that creates opportunities for future players, coaches and referees.
Emiabata Deborah Oluwabusiolami
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