Nigeria risks ban FIFA from international football tournaments

shakirudeen taiwo

July 12, 2017 3:05 PM

The only saving line for the country is for the acting president to assent the amended Nigeria Football Federation bill sent to the presidency by the lawmakers.

If the situation is promptly attended to, Nigeria may be banned from participation in any major international and continential football competitions.

The current situation in Nigeria’s sports industry is pointing to a possible ban of the country from participation in any international due to violations of Federation Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) rules.

Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) in recent time has had many cases in law courts across the country. This situation is a clear violation of FIFA regulations which stipulates that all football related dispute must be directed to its sports court of arbitration.

This situation is frowned at by the soccer governing body.

Speaking on the development, Chairman Senate Committee on Sport, Mr Obinna Ogba stated that the delay in signing into law the amended NFF bill may lead to an eventual ban of the country.

The lawmaker said it would be bad if Nigeria is allowed to go the way of Sudan, who has been suspended by the body for government interference in the football administration in the country.

“We freely signed to be a member of FIFA and genuine stakeholders should learn to respect FIFA rules in the interest of the country. We can’t afford to go the way of Sudan that has just been hammered by FIFA.

“Sudan’s World Cup hopes have been frittered away, like that of their clubs in continental football. Nigeria is too big to go the way of Sudan,” he said.

According to him, it would be a disaster if the nation incurred the wrath of world soccer governing body (FIFA) on account of the legal battles the NFF was facing in civil courts.

It would be recalled that Nigeria has been suspended twice (October 2010 and July 2014) for similar government involvement in sports administration in the country.

Last week, the Sudan Football Association (SFA) was hammered for government issuance of Decree 2 which suspended the FA board of directors and president, Mr Mutasim Gaafar Sir Eklkhatim.

“My appeal is for the Acting President, Prof Yemi Osinbajo to sign the NFF bill into law.

“Once that bill is signed into law, it would save us a lot of trouble. There is a provision in the bill for those in ordinary court now to go to the sports court of arbitration to seek redress. FIFA frowns at people going to ordinary court.”

Ogba appealed to the country’s acting leader to hurry action on signing the bill to avoid the Sudanese treatment by the football global body.

shakirudeen taiwo

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