The Nigerian Football Federation fears that World Governing body, FIFA may place a ban on the country following a tussle for leadership within the local organisation.
The country’s football witnessed a new twist after Chris Giwa resumed at the Glasshouse office of the NFF in Abuja last week as the president of the football body.
Giwa, who was elected as NFF president on 26 August 2014, has been in a leadership battle with the Amaju Pinnick-led NFF board after an order from a Jos High Court had stopped the election which brought Pinnick to office on 30 September 2014.
Giwa reportedly resumed at the Glasshouse with armed policemen to enforce the Supreme Court judgment.
Giwa’s takeover came after the Ministry of Youth and Sports directed the NFF to comply with the judgment of the Supreme Court delivered on April 27, which restored the orders of the Federal High Court setting aside the purported election into the Executive Committee of the NFF held on 30 September 2014.
This whole debacle could result in FIFA stepping in and opposing a ban before matters are restored.
A ban by FIFA will immediately affect the country’s participation at the U-20 Women’s World Cup in France in August as well as the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers in September, as well as Enyimba’s participation in the CAF Confederation Cup.
Former Gombe State Football Association boss Shuaibu Gara Gombe believes the NFF crisis has been lingering for too long and called for a speedy resolution for the benefit of the national teams.
“The reason why this case is in court in the first instance is because the FIFA Statutes have yet to be domesticated in Nigeria. Once that is done, there will be a solution to this repeated case of court battles every four years,” said Gombe on Punchng.com.
“I believe at this point a presidential resolution is necessary for the benefit of our national teams who will be competing at the World Cup and qualifiers. The country cannot afford to get a ban for now.”
