Nigeria spared FIFA ban

FIFA have disclosed that Nigeria will no longer be suspended after the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) complied with a recent directive.

The football governing body had ordered the Chris Giwa-led executive committee to vacate the federation’s secretariat by September 8 or the country could be banned from international and continental games and events.

Giwa and his crew stayed away from the Glass House while general secretary Musa Amadu and top management staff of the NFF under Aminu Maigari returned to their office, with Amadu confirming that the crisis was over. FIFA have now responded to the turn of events.

“We note that you and the management of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) were able to return to office and work without hindrance,” said FIFA secretary general Jerome Valcke in a letter dated September 8.

“We also note that the persons claiming to have been elected vacated the premises of the NFF.

“Against this background, we would like to confirm that the conditions set in FIFA’s aforementioned correspondence of September 3 2014 have been complied with and that the NFF is accordingly not suspended.”

However, FIFA warned that should there be any hindrance to the planned elections into the executive committee this month, Nigeria would be automatically suspended till the FIFA congress in May 2015.

“We welcome the positive steps which contribute to the normalisation of the situation. We now wait for the NFF executive committee to meet as soon as possible in order to convene an extraordinary general assembly to decide on the roadmap leading to the elections which should be open to all persons complying with the NFF statutes and regulations,” Valcke further said.

“These elections should also be organised as soon as possible under the NFF statutes and regulations.

“We would inform you should the electoral process be affected by any interference or mishap, the case will be referred again – and without prior notice or warning – to the appropriate FIFA bodies for immediate suspension of the NFF until the next FIFA congress.”