Nigeria could be suspended from international football by the world football governing body, Fifa, for threatening to remove the country’s Football Federation executive committee for their performance at the World Cup.
This follows an order from a High Court in Jos, Plateau State barring the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF]) headed by Aminu Maigari, from managing football matters in the country pending the hearing on the Motion of Notice on July 11.
The order from the court to Maigari and other NFF executive committee members to step aside comes just days after the Super Eagles saw their Fifa World Cup ambition end with a 2-0 defeat to France.
The latest scenario is a deja vu of a 2010 episode when the NFF was dissolved by the Nigerian government.
Fifa has written to the Nigerian government to reverse its decision as it frowns at government intervention in running the sport.
The Nigerian government later rescinded its decision to remove its country’s football managers. It also suspended the withdrawal of its national teams from international football for two years.
In the wake of the court order, the Nigeria sports minister, Tamuno Danagogo, appointed Lawrence Katken as sole administrator as the High Court instructed in its injunction this week.
There are now fears that Fifa’s suspension looms on the African champions since the world football governing body prohibits any government intervention with its member association.
As at Friday, the NFF president, Maigari, had allegedly been picked up by security operatives for questioning and later released while the football federation’s office in the country’s capital, Abuja, was under strict surveillance by security men.
Credit: Supersport
