PANAPRESS
Panafrican News Agency
Nigeria: Again, FIFA axe dangles on Nigeria
Lagos, Nigeria (PANA) - For the third time this year, world soccer's governing body, FIFA, has threatened Nigeria with a ban over interference in the affairs of the sport.
According to the spokesman of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), Mr. Demola Olajire, FIFA said Nigeria could be suspended on Monday (27 October) if all pending football matters were not withdrawn from the country’s civil courts.
Olajire said in a statement on Sunday that the latest threat was as a result of an order by a Federal High Court in the central city of Jos nullifying the recent election into the Executive Committee of the NFF.
Two individuals are now parading themselves as the NFF Chairman, with both issuing conflicting directives, including the recall of Super Eagles coach Stephen Keshi who was recently sacked.
The statement said CAF President Issa Hayatou had told Sports Minister Tammy Danagogo in Windhoek, Namibia, that FIFA and CAF were fed up with "Nigeria’s incorrigibility in the area of football administration".
The statement quoted Hayatou as saying: "Nigeria signed to be part of the football world by joining FIFA, and opted to abide by the FIFA-approved Statutes that you have."
"How many times do we have to tell your country that football matters are not taken to civil courts? If Nigeria no longer wants to be part of the football world, then so be it,” an angry Hayatou was quoted to have said.
A FIFA ban on Nigeria will mean that the Super Eagles will lose whatever chance it has to qualify for the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations.
-0- PANA TN/MA 26Oct2014
According to the spokesman of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), Mr. Demola Olajire, FIFA said Nigeria could be suspended on Monday (27 October) if all pending football matters were not withdrawn from the country’s civil courts.
Olajire said in a statement on Sunday that the latest threat was as a result of an order by a Federal High Court in the central city of Jos nullifying the recent election into the Executive Committee of the NFF.
Two individuals are now parading themselves as the NFF Chairman, with both issuing conflicting directives, including the recall of Super Eagles coach Stephen Keshi who was recently sacked.
The statement said CAF President Issa Hayatou had told Sports Minister Tammy Danagogo in Windhoek, Namibia, that FIFA and CAF were fed up with "Nigeria’s incorrigibility in the area of football administration".
The statement quoted Hayatou as saying: "Nigeria signed to be part of the football world by joining FIFA, and opted to abide by the FIFA-approved Statutes that you have."
"How many times do we have to tell your country that football matters are not taken to civil courts? If Nigeria no longer wants to be part of the football world, then so be it,” an angry Hayatou was quoted to have said.
A FIFA ban on Nigeria will mean that the Super Eagles will lose whatever chance it has to qualify for the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations.
-0- PANA TN/MA 26Oct2014
