FIFA Council set to sit on NFF’s leadership crisis tomorrow
The FIFA Council, which is the world football ruling body’s decision making body, will deliberate on the crisis that led to the mass resignation of Nigeria Football Federation’s (NFF) board members, including its president, Ibrahim Gusau and secretary general, Mohammed Sanusi, on Thursday.
A FIFA and the Confederation of African Football (CAF) delegation was in Nigeria last month on a fact-finding mission following the leadership crisis in the country’s football, which also led to the suspension of the federation’s elective congress.
The delegation held a series of meetings with key stakeholders in Nigerian football during its visit to Abuja, gathering views on the governance crisis and possible pathways towards restoring an elected leadership structure.
The mission was widely seen as a crucial step in determining how FIFA and CAF would respond to the ongoing uncertainty surrounding the administration of Nigerian football.
The delegation was led by FIFA representatives Ahmed Harraz and Rolf Tanner, alongside CAF’s El Hadj Wack Diop and Nnaemeka Olu.
Their visit followed earlier engagements between Nigerian football officials and FIFA in Zurich, Switzerland, where the country’s football governance situation was discussed.
FIFA had previously indicated that it would assess the legal, governance and electoral issues surrounding the NFF before determining the appropriate next steps.
At the end of their stay in Nigeria, the delegation did not make any pronouncements, saying that the FIFA Council will examine their findings and pronounce its thoughts on the Nigerian situation.
A top NFF official told The Guardian that the federation is waiting for FIFA’s verdict to know the next step in the restructuring of the body as requested by stakeholders in the game.
He said: “The ball is now in FIFA’s court and there is nothing I can say about it until we get the verdict.
“But we believe that the body will help Nigerian football to get back on its feet after recent setbacks.”
