World Football governing body, FIFA are said to have finalised plans to ban Nigeria by Monday following the latest court ruling that ousted the Amaju Pinnick led executive board of the Nigeria Football Federation(NFF).
A Federal High court ruling in Jos, last week nullified the September 30 elections that brought Amaju to power, and afterwards ruled that the Chris Giwa led faction should take control of the NFF.
President of the Confederation of Africa Football(CAF) Issa Hayatou revealed that it took his personal intervention on FIFA president, Sepp Blatter before Nigeria was a given a grace until Monday to withdraw football matters from the court or be sanctioned.
Hayatou said that Nigeria's match in the finals of the African Women's Championship, which the Super Falcons won, was what delayed the ban.
“I 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," Hayatou said.
“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.”
“I appealed 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.
“Nigeria signed to be part of the football world by joining FIFA, and opted to abide by the FIFA –approved Statutes that you have. How many times do we have to tell your country that football matters are not taken to civil courts? If Nigeria no longer wants to be part of the football world, then so be it,” Hayatou added.
Hayatou was speaking to the Nigerian delegation comprising of the Sports minister, Tammy Danagogo, in Namibia after the finals of the AWC.
This will not be the first time that FIFA will be issuing Nigeria with a threat to ban the country, and all have been as a result of lingering leadership tussle in the NFF.
Nigeria was provisionally banned after the 2014 World Cup tournament before it was rescinded.
If FIFA proceeds to ban Nigeria, the Super Eagles will not play the remaining two games of their 2015 African Nations Cup.
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