NFF crises over as Giwa steps down

Nigeria looks to have avoided an international ban as the leadership tussle in the Nigeria Football Federation has been resolved.

According to the BBC, Chris Giwa has given up his claim as NFF president in a move that coincides with a deadline set by FIFA.

A suspension could have led to Nigeria missing Wednesday’s Africa Cup of Nations qualifier in South Africa and it would have led to disqualification from the tournament billed for Morocco in January 2015.

The general secretary of NFF, Musa Amadu, heaved a sigh of relief on this new development.

“It has been a trying period of two months for all of us, but I believe we have come to the end of this crisis,” Amadu told reporters.

“Nigerian football is far more important than any one of us. Let us put everything behind us.

“We have to now do the right thing in order to move our football forward.

“We will soon have an extra-ordinary assembly to set a date for elections for the new executive committee. This will be at the shortest possible time, not beyond September 25.”

NFF president Aminu Maigari, who has been reinstated to office by FIFA will preside over both the extra-ordinary general assembly and elective congress.

FIFA gave Nigeria a Monday morning deadline for Giwa and his group to quit the NFF office or Nigeria will be banned after they claimed they won a recent election into the executive committee of the federation.