FIFA fed up with Nigeria

For the umpteenth time this year the world football governing body, FIFA, has given Nigeria a deadline to avoid suspension from international football.

FIFA President, Sepp Blatter

Confederation of African Football President, Issa Hayatou, has warned that Nigeria is in danger of being banned by FIFA by Monday (today) after a court sacked the recently elected Nigeria Football Federation Executive Committee. Indeed, it was explained that the Super Falcons were allowed to play the AWC final match against Cameroon on Saturday after a plea was made to FIFA executives led by Sepp Blatter.

Last Thursday, the Federal High Court sitting in Jos gave a ruling setting aside the NFF elections of September 30 in Warri which had ushered in the new Exco. The court ruling has angered FIFA officials who had warned that the country would be banned if there were any further interference from any civil court on purely football matters.

Hayatou told the Minister of Sports Dr. Tammy Danagogo in Windhoek, Namibia that they were fed up with events in Nigeria.

He said, “I (Hayatou) 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 PUNCH learnt that at a meeting that had in attendance Danagogo; Nigeria’s High Commissioner to Namibia, Ambassador Biodun Olorunfemi; Nigeria’s Deputy President of the CAF Appeal Board, Amanze Uchegbulam; CAF General Coordinator, Paul Bassey and CAF media committee member Aisha Falode Hayatou made it clear that Nigeria would be suspended if there was no improvement by the start of the week.

“I appealled 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.

“If Nigeria no longer wants to be part of the football world, then so be it.”

NFF president Amaju Melvin Pinnick was stopped by security operatives at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos on his way to Namibia on Friday night with the sports minister.

FIFA has warned that If Nigeria gets suspended, they will not revisit the matter until their 65th Congress on May 29, 2015.

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FIFA fed up with Nigeria

Eagles will fly over France, says Keshi

Super Eagles coach, Stephen Keshi has declared that his team has no option than to win against France when they clash in the round of 16 on Monday.

Though the Eagles are the underdogs, Keshi stated before they left Campinas for Brasilia that his team’s mentality is strong and for them, it has always been nothing but a win each time they are out to play a game.

“I said before the tournament that our mentality must be strong. Our approach to every match has always been the same: to win.

“Whether we are playing against Spain at the FIFA Confederations Cup or playing against Liberia in a friendly match, I always tell the boys that victory is non–negotiable.

“For us, we will go into Monday’s match aiming to win. But as I also said before the competition, we take it one match at a time.

“We don’t even want to think of who might be lurking in the quarter finals if we win; we are not bothered. All we know is that we must win on Monday.”

France top group E with seven points and they have played some excellent football unlike in 2010 where they were dumped in the preliminaries. With their arrays of stars in all departments they have left no one in doubt that they are candidates for the trophy.

But all that will to win the world cup will be put to test when they face the Eagles at the 72, 000 capacity Estadio Nacional Mane Garrincha, the second biggest stadium in Brazil.

The clash between Nigeria and France will be like a reunification of Premier League stars as six Nigeria players Joseph Yobo, Peter Osaze Odemwingie, John Obi Mikel, Kenneth Omeruo, Shola Ameobi and Victor Moses will face the likes Patrice Evra, Hugo Lloris, Mathieu Debuchy, Loic Remy, Moussa Sissoko, Laurent Koscielny, Bacary Sagna, Olivier Giroud Arsena) and Mamadou Sakho Liverpool all who play in the EPL.

 

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Eagles will fly over France, says Keshi

Tension in Eagles camp as players demand N12m each

•Ask to be relocated to a new hotel

•Senate President warns NFF not to bring shame to Nigeria

•Maigari signs agreement with players…

By Tony Ubani

AS the Super Eagles step out on Monday for their first World Cup match against Iran, there are fears that the deficit in agreement for the appearance fee of the players may dash whatever hope Nigerians have for the national team to do well in Brazil 2014.

The Super Eagles tabled their grievances to the Senate President, David Mark when he came visiting them on Friday. The players said that they will not accept anything less than the $75,000 about N12.2m appearance fee  paid to each of their Ghanaian counterparts by the Ghana Football Association.

Also, the Eagles requested that the NFF relocate them from their Victoria Concept hotel in Campinas, which they described as isolated and it makes them look like prisoners unlike other World Cup teams whose Federations lodged them in better and more ideal places.

Sports Vanguard gathered that Senate President David Mark who listened with rapt attention as the players reeled out their grievances thereafter berated the NFF for not promptly settling the issue of appearance fees as was the case with other Federations like the Ghana Football Association.

The Senate President thereafter appealed to the coaches and the players to put aside anything that would constitute a distraction to them in the World Cup and focused on winning the World Cup reassuring them of the determination of President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan to give them the necessary support in the tournament to make Nigeria proud.

NFF President Aminu Maigari we gathered had to sign an agreement with the team promising that they will not get anything less than the Black Stars of Ghana.

Sports Minister, Dr Tammy Danagogo who was in attendance at the no-holds-barred meeting urged the team to do everything possible to make an impressive outing in the tournament.

Present at the meeting were Governor Liyel Imoke of Cross River State; Dr. Danagogo; Senator Bala Mohammed, minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT); Chief Edem Duke, minister of culture and tourism; Mr. Boni Haruna, minister of youths and social development; Senator Gumba, Chairman Senate Committee on Sports; Hon. Godfrey Gaiya, Chairman House Committee on Sports, Alhaji Maigari, and other executive members of the NFF.

Nigeria will earn over $9 million about (N1.4b) or qualification and participation in the first round of the Brazil World Cup. If the Eagles fly into the second round more money would also be paid.

 

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Tension in Eagles camp as players demand N12m each