Worried by frequent threats by the world football governing board, FIFA on Nigeria, sports fans in Port Harcourt have called on football administrators in Nigeria to close ranks.

The suspension on Nigeria last week which had nearly scuttled the Nigerian versus Guinea Nations Cup qualifier has been lifted temporarily but a lot of unresolved issues could still attract the ban.

According to sports fan, Ekhaisomi Osaro, Nigeria football administrators should use the grace window to settle their differences.

Osaro noted that Nigeria as a giant of African football could not claim to be ignorant of FIFA rules, especially as it frowns at government interference.

The football authorities must ensure that they play according to the rules to avoid further friction with FIFA.

“We all know that we must have all the administrative structures in place and settle any football dispute outside the court house. Teams must also be relegated at the end of season, not what sports minister Isa Bio tried to do.

“So my advise to the authorities is to end their quarrels to have a clear road map towards developing the game in the country,” he added.

On his part, a keen soccer follower, Emmanuel Uchis commended FIFA for temporarily lifting the ban.

He said most football fans in the country were not happy over the development, as they expected FIFA to have intervened and explored other options of resolving the crisis rather than suspend the country.

“The issue is that the new NFF board was taken to court by registered footballers for coming into offices in a crooked way.

“I think this should worry any well meaning Nigerian as we all know that some of the state FA chairmen tenure have expired,” he explained.

“I therefore think the ban was too hasty but thank God, it has been lifted,” Emmanuel said.

It would be recalled that FIFA had unbanned Nigeria till October 26, 2010 after suspending it for flaunting its regulations.

The statement lifting the suspension reads, “The FIFA Emergency Committee decided today, 8 October, to provisionally lift the suspension of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF). The decision was taken after observing that the situation had taken a positive turn in recent days, with the claimant at the origin of the court actions publicity committing himself to withdrawing his claims, the acting general secretary of the NFF returning to his post on October 5, 2010 and the issue of the Nigeria League being left totally within the ambit of the NFF,” the statement read.

In the same vein, sport fans on Tuesday in Lagos faulted FIFA’s claim that the Federal Government was interfering in the football administration in Nigeria.

The fans, who came under the aegis of sports stakeholders, urged the Nigerian Football Federation (NFF) to inform the world body that there was no government interference in soccer administration in Nigeria.

Speaking with newsmen, Martins Osaile, a sports and boxing promoter, said sports should be run by knowledgeable persons and not the ‘mafias’ who have hijacked it.

“There are some mafias behind the scene who do not want sports to move forward in this country, these people should first be flushed out of the system in order to revive sports,” he said.

Akonte Samuel