CAF president, Issa Hayatou, at a meeting that held on Saturday with Nigeria’s Sports Minister, Dr. Tammy Danagogo, Nigeria’s High Commissioner to Namibia, Ambassador Biodun Olorunfemi, Nigeria’s Deputy President of the CAF Appeal Board, Mazi Amanze Uchegbulam, CAF General Coordinator, Mr. Paul Bassey and CAF Media Committee Member, Aisha Falode, have said that the football world is fed up with Nigerians.
Issa Hayatou said he had to plead with FIFA not to place a ban on Nigerian football. “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.”
“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.”
The CAF president however said there is no going back on the ban if Nigeria did not take its football issues off civil courts.
“I appealed to FIFA to give until Monday 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.
“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,”
Earlier FIFA’s President Blatter and CAF President Hayatou, as well as several National Associations and NFF’s partners and political leaders around the world, had sent congratulatory messages to Amaju Pinnick following his victory at the September 30 elections.
Newly elected NFF President, Mr. Amaju Pinnick had to follow the meeting via phone because he was stopped by security operatives before boarding the plane to Namibia at Murtala Mohammed Airport.
This was due to the Federal High Court in Jos ruling that set aside the FIFA–ordered elections of 30th September, 2014 into the NFF Executive Committee. While the NFF executive committee led by Pinnick filed for a Stay-of-Execution order in the same court.
This was what angered the world football body.
Speaking from windhoek on Sunday, Falode said the Nigerian Government has to intervene to avoid the hammer falling on Nigeria football.
“The future of millions of Nigerian youth is being put at risk by some persons who feel they have nothing to lose in the case of a FIFA ban. It is now for the Government to wade in. If we get suspended from international football now, FIFA will not revisit the matter until their 65th Congress on May 29, 2015. That would be too bad for our country’s football. (Today.ng)
