Sports
FIFA Lifts Nigeria’s Suspension NFF Hails Stakeholders
The executive committee of world football governing body, the international football Federation (FIFA), on Friday in Zurich, Switzerland lifted the suspension on the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF).
Tidesports source reports that the decision was one of many decisions taken at its meeting held from Oct. 28 to Oct. 29, and chaired by FIFA President Sepp Blatter.
FIFA had on Oct. 4 suspended Nigeria from international football on the strength of what it termed “government interference,’’ while it had provisionally lifted the suspension on Oct. 8.
The football body said its decision on Friday was based on the fact that the NFF executive committee “could now work without hindrance’’.
“This is after receiving confirmation that the court actions against elected members of the NFF had ceased, and that they can now work without hindrance,’’ a statement on FIFA website said.
Tidesports source reports that the peaceful resolution of the crisis in Nigerian football house had culminated in the striking out on Oct. 25 of the court case against the NFF Executive Committee.
The case had been instituted by the National Association of Nigerian Footballers (NANF), led by Harrison Jalla.
The development had paved way for the committee’s subsequent meeting on Oct. 27 and Oct. 28 at the NFF Glass House secretariat in Abuja.
NFF’s Assistant Chief Media Officer, Alhaji Abdulbaki Ibrahim, confirmed the receipt of FIFA’s letter to NFF on Friday in an interview with newsmen.
“We have received a statement from FIFA’s General Secretary, Mr Jerome Valcke, informing us of the decision, and the world football ruling body said it has taken note of recent positive developments in taking its decision.
“These positive developments had led to the re-instatement of the Acting General Secretary as well as the reversal of the idea of a 24-club Premier League season,’’ he said.
Reacting to FIFA’s lifting of the suspension, NFF President, Alhaji Aminu Maigari, said he could only express gratitude to all Nigerian football stakeholders who made the development possible.
“We are grateful, especially to the Sports Minister, Alhaji Isa Bio, the Director-General of the National Sports Commission (NSC), Chief Patrick Ekeji, as well as the chairmen and members of the Sports Committees of both the Senate and House of Representatives.
“All of them played various roles in ensuring a successful resolution of the crisis,’’ he added.
England captain Harry Kane netted a hat-trick to guide Bayern Munich to an impressive victory against Stuttgart.
Kane’s goals, plus one from Kingsley Coman, helped Bayern end a three-game winless run in all competitions.
They faced a tough task against a Stuttgart side who sat back and limited their chances, leading Vincent Kompany’s side to enter the break frustrated and with the deadlock unbroken.
Bayern eventually found a way past Stuttgart’s steely defence when Kane drilled a low effort into the bottom corner from around 30 yards out after Joshua Kimmich overturned possession.
Former Nigeria goalkeeper, Dosu Joseph, is full of thanks to God after he miraculously survived another life-threatening automobile accident recent at Kara, along the Lagos-Ibadan Express Way, where a heavy-duty truck ran into his SUV.
Narrating his ordeal, the 51-year-old, who guided Nigeria to gold in the Men’s Football Tournament of the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta, broke the news in a statement on his social media handles on Friday.
“To God be the glory, another death escaped by Grace and Mercy of God. Me and my friend SM were at Enyo Filling Station after Ojodu Berger bus stop to get fuel on Wednesday, October 2, 2024, around 6 p.m. when this MACK truck fully loaded with iron, with registration number LND 470 XX, left the road and crushed my car beyond repairs. Thank God for life,” he stated.
This is the second time the soft-spoken club proprietor will cheat death by a whisker, having been involved in an accident in 1997 that ended his career at 23 and left his spinal cord in bad shape.
He helped Julius Berger win the Nigeria FA Cup in November 1997 shortly a memorable Olympic outing by keeping a clean sheet in the finals against Katsina United. The following year, he was involved in the auto along Ikorodu Road, Lagos, which not only cut his career short but also left him almost paralysed, ending his spell at Serie A club Reggiana.
The former Nigeria international, who also kept goal for Julius Berger FC, said the case has been reported to Isheri Police Station, Ogun State, where the driver is currently detained and the truck also seized.
According to him, the owner of the truck said he can’t fix the badly damaged SUV until after a year.
Ex – Super Eagles of Nigeria, Okwuchukwu Waobikeze has observed that sports development in Nigeria is going down.
According to him, grassroots sports is very important, without it, the administrators cannot get it right. So everybody should key into grassroots sports development, he said.
Waobikeze said this last Wednesday in an interview with sports journalists shortly after the Port Harcourt All Stars Independence football festival (OCTOBERFEST) at the Port Harcourt club, Rivers State.
He explained that for sports administrators to get it right, grassroots development is key. “They should be organising competition at the grassroots level to fish out the young ones for different sporting activities.
“Grassroots sports is very important so the administrators have to go back to the grassroots.
” Sports Development in Nigeria is going down we need to go back to the basics.
“Look at the just concluded Paris Olympics, Nigeria did not win any medal.
” Our football team did not even qualify for the Olympics. We are going down.
” If they should go back to the grassroots, they will get young ones in the games and talents will be developed.
” I started from school games, to youth games before playing for the national team. Now everybody wants to fly board to play professional football and a lot do not know the basics of the game.
” A lot of people did not know the little things about the game, they just want to play. It is not done so,” Waobikeze stated.
Kiadum Edookor
