The world football governing body, FIFA, has given Nigeria a stipulated deadline to fix her internal issues to avoid suspension from international football due to the political intrusion in Nigeria’s football association.
This is made known by the president of Confederation of African Football, CAF, Issa Hayatou, who also hinted Nigeria about the implications of being banned by FIFA by Monday, October 27, 2014 following the unilateral dismissal of the recently elected Nigeria Football Federation Executive Committee.
It was reported that the Super Falcons were allowed to play the AWC final match against Cameroon on Saturday, October 25, 2014 after a plea was made to FIFA executives by the AWC committee.
On Thursday, October 23, 2014, the Federal High Court sitting in Jos discredited the NFF election which was conducted on Tuesday, September 30, 2014 in Delta State, the election which had ushered in the new Executive.
The judgement made by the court has thereby stirred controversy on international football association as FIFA officials had warned that the country would be banned if there were any further interference from any civil court on purely football matters.
Hayatou was reported to have told the minister of sports, Dr. Tammy Danagogo in Windhoek, Namibia that they were fed up with events in Nigeria.
“I had to plead passionately with FIFA President, Mr. Sepp Blatter not to take action on Nigeria on Friday, because Nigeria was in the final of the African Women Championship and a ban on your country would have been bad for the competition and our sponsors. We all heard the news of the court ruling on Thursday, and the football world is angry with Nigeria. That is the truth,” he said.
“The FIFA letter that came to your Federation before the elections of September 30 was very clear about an automatic suspension should there be any interference with the political process, and after the elections went ahead, we all thought you had settled your issues.”
At a meeting however, Hayatou told all concerned stakeholders in Nigeria Football Federation that Nigeria would be suspended if there was no improvement by the start of the week.
“I appealed to FIFA to give until Monday, October 27, 2014 for Nigeria to put its act together. After that, there is absolutely nothing I can do. It is all very disappointing because we have over 50 national associations in Africa, but a big country like Nigeria is the one always giving us the biggest headache.
“If Nigeria no longer wants to be part of the football world, then so be it”, he concluded
FIFA has however warned that If Nigeria eventually gets suspended; the committee will not revisit the matter until their 65th Congress on Friday, May 29, 2015.
