Nigerians Divided Over FIFA Ban Threat

The threat of a ban and sanctions from the World football body FIFA on Nigeria following the crisis that has engulfed the Nigeria Football Federation, NFF have elicited different reactions from across Nigerians and stakeholders.
While some Nigerians believe that the sanction, if it would really come, would be a welcome development that would enable the country restructure and re-organise her football, others believe that it would be a disastrous development for the country, even as some doubt the veracity of the threat from FIFA.
According to ex-Youth International, Imama Amapakabo, the leadership crisis and fraud at the football house, NFF have become an achilles heel for the Nigeria football, thus, a ban on the country at this time would be welcomed and serve to re-organise the administration and organisation of the sport.
He believes that it would help flush out bad eggs in the system and save the country from individuals whose interests are mainly selfish. “I have not seen a country where crisis is continuously rocking the football house, largely due to fraudulent practices”, said Amapakabo.
A sports presenter and media officer of Dolphins FC, Port Harcourt, China Acheru said that a ban on Nigeria would certainly have dire consequences on the country. He believes that it would affect the development of the game and the country, especially the national teams and players, who depend on the sport for survival would be worst hit as the country would be totally isolated by the International football community.
Nigeria will not be able to defend her African Nations Cup title and African Women Championship, neither will the clubsides partake in continental competitors, he said.
But Acheru thinks that FIFA may not ban Nigeria because the purported threat letter from the world body to the NFF could be fake. He believes that there are two sides to the story.
The Christopher Giwa-led group claims that they were duly elected and followed due process, while the other faction claims otherwise, pointing out that it would certainly take a fair and neutral authority to establish the facts of the mater”.
In his own reaction, Secretary of Sports Writers Association of Nigeria, SWAN, Rivers State Chapter, Olalekan Ige said that Nigerians do not have anything to be afraid of for now pending the general election fixed for Friday, as FIFA has indicated that it would send representatives to be part of the exercise with a view to setting the right.
“But the hummer may fall if there is no headway after September 5”, Ige stressed.

Super Eagles’ Mikel Obi (10) in contest with Iran’s Degajah at the 2014 World Cup. The Eagles are in Calabar preparing to face Congo in 2015 AFCON qualifier on Saturday

Tonye Orabere