By MIKE GRAMAJO
FIFA has decided to lift the Nigerian Football Federation’s international ban, it announced Friday.
The suspension was lifted because “statutory order has been reinstated at the NFF and the legitimate bodies reinstalled,” FIFA said in a statement.
Nigeria’s ban was imposed on July 9 after its second round exit from the World Cup, with FIFA telling Nigeria that no teams – men’s, women’s or youth – would be allowed to compete during the suspension.
After government interference in the Nigerian federation, a court order had forced their minister of sports to name a civil service member to take over the country’s football federation.
With the ban lifted, Nigeria’s soccer leaders were also reinstated.
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What do you make of this development? Did you expect the ban to end so soon?
Share your thoughts below.
If FIFA really wants to have a significant affect on world peace and justice (besides their many efforts to reduce racial hatred), then it should change the 2018 WC location. It should MOVE the 2018 WC from Russia to the US (it would make/have the most impact) as a world wide protest to the gunning down of the Malaysian civilian airliner (a war crime)! If FIFA objects, we can then take the further step of boycotting the 2018 WC in Russia with our USNMT.
no country can go alone at FIFA, it has to be an entire Confederation… and Concacaf is not a powerful as it comes down to just USA and Mexico… it’d be interesting to know how much US/MX contribute to FIFA in terms of filling up FIFAs coffers.
Conmebol was a corrupt entity 25 years, it probably still is… pretty much they go along with the corrupt head honcho FIFA. In terms of financial contribution, I have a feeling this confederation is not “that” important… but you cant have a WC without South Americans.
The only hope is UEFA which at least is willing to show some transparency.
BTW, FIFA has posters advertising Womens World Cup 2015 in Canada…. one of FIFA official partners…. Russia’s state-owned Gazprom… this like getting in bed with the russian mafia.
FIFA… continues to support corruption….
Similar situations occurred within the last 10 years in Poland and Chile…. essentially, embezzlement ( a crime ) occurred and local investigators stepped in wanting to press criminal charges, but FIFA threatened to boycott those federations for life.
The potential ban was too strong as punishment and respective local authorities – with soccer being a religion in most countries – decided FIFA to be in charge of the investigations… of course, sometime later FIFA stated no crime was committed.
There is gotta be a way….
Say want you want about the obese, unredeemable husk of a man that is Sepp Blatter, but scamming Nigerians in their own house is big boy work. Might have even-made the mythical “Do Not Email” list in those parts.
More seriously, with regard to a solution, Gulati is doing the absolute right thing right now, even as a sitting FIFA ExCo appointee. Want to remove or reform a corrupt organization? It can be done without firing a shot, although it takes savvy. Remove their relevence. Organize events independently. Show that they are not indepsensible. And at least for now– Ignore their unsolicit advances– tell them you’re out of band-aids and maybe they should try soap and water this time.
Gulati is holding FIFA’s credibility in escrow right now. Next move is FIFA’s and the decision is approval of the joint Copa America.