Nigeria fumes over FIFA suspension

Officials, players and fans reacted Monday with disbelief and anger following the country’s suspension by FIFA as a result of government interference in the running of the game in Nigeria.

On Monday, FIFA announced that the country has been banned from all levels of football until the elected board of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) is allowed to function without government interference.

Acting secretary-general of the NFF, Emmanuel Ikpeme, confirmed the FIFA suspension but refused to comment further.

“I was summoned by the National Sports Commission, where I received the letter banning Nigeria,” Ikpeme said.

“But I do not wish to make any comments on this FIFA ban.”

The most immediate casualty of the FIFA ban is this weekend’s 2012 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier away to Guinea.

Nigeria’s foreign-based professionals were expected to join up with their counterparts from the local league on Monday in a training camp in Abuja.

“This is what the government wanted and they have got. It’s unfortunate that just a handful of people are playing us around like footballs,” a former Nigeria international told AFP shortly after the ban was announced.

“It will be interesting to get to know what the sports minister will tell Nigerians now.”

FIFA-licensed agent Bertrand Ekenwa said FIFA will not go back on their pronouncement and as such Nigeria must have to abide by ruling of the world football governing body.

“FIFA approved the elections and they have always kicked against government interference. So, why should Nigeria be a different case,” a furious Ekenwa said.

“Nigerian football has been put in jeopardy because of a selfish few. It’s only a madman that will think of challenging FIFA.”

In July, the Nigerian government rescinded a decision to withdraw from international competitions for two years only after FIFA threatened to ban the country altogether.

In 1996, the Confederation of African Football (CAF) banned the country for two editions of the Nations Cup after Nigerian dictator, General sani Abacha, withdrew the team from the tournament in South Africa.

The country has also served out a two-year FIFA ban for age-group competitions following the discovery of discrepancies in the ages of some of the players who represented Nigeria in such tournaments.