2nd September, 2014
The Sports Minister/Chairman, National Sports Commission, Dr. Tammy Danagogo has expressed hope that FIFA will not ban Nigeria as he urged the world’s football governing body to wade into the internal wrangling in the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF).
Dr. Danagogo expressed this confidence on a breakfast television programme, ‘Good Morning Nigeria’ on the Nigeria Television Authority, NTA in Abuja on Tuesday.
The minister said that FIFA should know that what is happening in the NFF is an internal wrangling among football stakeholders who are battling to take over control of the football house.
“I am aware that FIFA does not ban countries over internal wrangling among stakeholders. What I expect FIFA to do is to listen to both sides in the dispute and fashion out a peaceful resolution of the crisis,” he said.
According to the sports minister, “It is also not fair for FIFA to ban a country over the actions of individuals. If they feel that an individual has gone against their statutes, such individual should be singled out and sanctioned and not the entire country.”
He added that he is also aware that FIFA or football federations ban some of their members for offences against the football statutes and expects that the same thing should apply in the present case of the NFF.
“I don’t expect FIFA to ban Nigeria because we are in contact with them and have explained the position of things as they affect the current crisis. We expect that they would carefully look into the matter after listening to both sides and seek a peaceful resolution. If they say the way out is for another election to be held, we would ensure that it is done for peace to return to our football.”