Decision Looms After FIFA Completes Two-day Fact-finding Mission to Nigeria
*Odegbami describes FIFA’s intervention as blessing to Nigeria football
Duro Ikhazuagbe
After concluding its two-day fact-finding mission to Nigeria, the world football governing body, FIFA, is expected to announce the outcome of the trip anytime soon.
No official of neither the National Sports Commission (NSC) and the interim leadership of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) was willing to broach details of their discussions with the FIFA officials yesterday when approached by THISDAY.
The country’s football has been in turmoil since last month following the resignation of former NFF President Ibrahim Musa Gusau and members of the executive board. The failure of the Super Falcons to qualify for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup scheduled to hold in Brazil was the immediate call for the sacking of the Gusau-led board.
Before 10-time WAFCON champions failed to reach the last four stage of the women’s tournament as well as not making the cut to the Mundial for the first time since the inaugural edition in 1991, the Super Eagles had missed the World Cup back-to-back in 2022 and 2026.
The Golden Eaglets and the Flying Eagles all failed to qualify for the global levels under the Gusau leadership.
But few days after the exit of Gusau and his board members, the interim NFF leadership under the watch of Dr. Emmanuel Ikpeme joined the NSC Chairman, Malam Shehu Dikko, DG of the Commission, Hon. Bukola Olopade and former NFF President and FIFA Council Member, Mr. Amaju Melvin Pinnick on a courtesy visit to FIFA President, Gianni Infantino in Zurich, Switzerland.
However, after the visit, FIFA clarified that while an initial meeting had taken place, an on-the-ground investigation in Nigeria was still required. This led to the visit of the four men to Abuja early this week. The delegation had discussions with the NSC, including the Chairman, Shehu Dikko. Afterwards, they held another meeting with the interim leadership of the NFF on Tuesday while also meeting with some football stakeholders in the federal capital city.
In his reaction on the FIFA visit to Nigeria, a former Green Eagles Captain and football administrator, Chief Segun Odegbami, described it as intervention in the ongoing efforts to reform football administration in the country. Odegbami insisted that the visit to Nigeria was a “blessing’.
Odegbami, who was among the Nigerian football stakeholders at the meeting, said the discussions were conducted in a cordial atmosphere, with participants addressing the country’s football challenges without rancour.
Reflecting on the outcome of the meeting in a piece titled “Meeting with FIFA – foto no dey lie!” Odegbami said the gathering brought members of Nigeria’s football family together “like old friends” and offered fresh hope for resolving longstanding administrative issues.
According to him, the FIFA delegation demonstrated a strong understanding of the problems confronting Nigerian football, having arrived at the meeting already well briefed on the major issues.
“The FIFA delegation, in their few remarks during the conversation, demonstrated that they know the main issues with Nigerian football pretty well,” Odegbami stated without elaborating.
He added that the discussions provided FIFA with additional information that could strengthen its report and guide the next steps in the reform process.
Odegbami believes the meeting has created the foundation for significant changes in the administration of Nigerian football, insisting that reforms are now inevitable.
“Reforms are coming, with or without a Normalization Committee,” he declared, while noting that there appeared to be broad agreement among stakeholders on the immediate priorities requiring attention.
The former international also stressed the importance of FIFA’s role in giving effect to whatever final decisions emerge from the reform process.
“It is also clear that only FIFA can provide the instrument to enforce any final decisions,” he stressed.