Soccer loving Nigerians received an unlikely 50th independence anniversary gift from the Federation of International Football Association, FIFA, this evening when the body banned the country from all international football competitions.
The FIFA Emergency Committee took the action this evening, 4 October 2010, to suspend the Nigeria Football Federation, NFF, with immediate effect on account of government interference.
This decision follows the latest events linked to the NFF, such as the court actions against elected members of the NFF Executive Committee, preventing them from exercising their functions and duties.
Also, FIFA frowns at the stepping down of the acting NFF General Secretary on the instructions of the National Sports Commission, NSC, the decision of the Minister of Sports, Ibrahim Bio to have the Nigerian League start without relegating any team from the previous season, and the fact that the NFF Executive Committee cannot work properly due to the interference.
According to a press release on FIFA website, “the suspension will be maintained until the court actions have ceased and the duly elected NFF Executive Committee is able to work without any interference”.
During the period of suspension, FIFA says all the Nigerian teams, the Golden Eaglets, Flying Eagles, U-23 Dream Team, Super Eagles and their female counterparts; the Flamingoes, Falconets and Super Falcons will not be able to feature in any regional, continental or international competitions, including at club level, and also in friendly matches.
In addition, the FIFA statement reads: “Neither the NFF nor any of its members or officials can benefit from any development programme, course, or training from FIFA or CAF while the federation remains suspended.”
Meanwhile, the first casualities of FIFA’s ban are the Super Eagles and the Super Falcons. The Eagles, who are already in Abuja camp preparing to travel to Guinea for this weekend’s African Cup of Nations qualifying match against the Syli Nationale would no longer go for the match.
Also, the Super Falcons, who are currently in camp preparing for the female edition of the Cup of Nations, the African Women Championship, AWC, slated for South Africa between 30 October through 14 November 2010 in South Africa may be decamped immediately.
The last time that FIFA and CAF banned Nigeria was in the mid 90s, when the country’s former Military leader, General Sani
Abacha withdrawn the Super Eagles from taking part in the 1996 African Cup of Nations held in South Africa and when the Nigerian youth teams were caught in age falsification.
In another development, the Federal High Court sitting in Lagos today discharged a FIFA Executive member, Dr. Amos Adamu and all the NFF officials from contempt charges over the recently held elections into the board of the body.
Source:http://pmnewsnigeria.com/2010/10/04/fifa-bans-nigeria-as-eagles%E2%80%99-nations-cup-qualifiers-hit-the-rocks/
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