FIFA May Suspend Nigeria And Ghana Over Football Leadership Crisis

FIFA Gives Nigeria And Ghana August 20 Deadline To Adhere To Instruction

Nigeria and Ghana have been threatened with a ban from the World football governing body, FIFA, on Tuesday, if they fail to comply with the instructions of the body.

FIFA, in a statement by its Media Office, said it had been notified about ongoings in the two federations, and it viewed them as “undue interference in their affairs’’.

The body stated that NFF offices in Abuja must be occupied by the Amaju Pinnick faction of the federation’s Congress

FIFA, however, said whatever its decision would be will not affect the Falconets, who are currently in France for the FIFA u-20 Women’s World Cup.

Recall that Naija News reported that the Falconets held China to a draw to qualify for the Quarter Final of the competition.

In the case of Ghana, the country has until Aug. 27 to stop the process of liquidation of the Ghana Football Association.

Below is the full text of FIFA’s statement, unedited:

“Two decisions of the Bureau of the FIFA Council in relation to undue influence in the affairs of the Nigeria Football Federation and the Ghana Football Association have been notified on 13 August 2018.

In line with art. 16 par. 1 of the FIFA Statutes, the Bureau of the FIFA Council decided that if by Monday, 20 August 2018, at 12:00 (CET), the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) offices are not handed back to the legitimate NFF executive committee under President Amaju Melvin Pinnick, who was duly elected on 30 September 2014, the NFF will be suspended with immediate effect for contravening art. 14 par. 1 i) and art. 19, as well as art. 14 par. 1 a) of the FIFA Statutes.

The suspension would be lifted only once the NFF, under President Amaju Melvin Pinnick and General Secretary Mohammed Sanusi, confirms that it has been given back effective control of the NFF and its offices.

Furthermore, the Bureau decided that if the suspension of the NFF takes effect, the Nigerian team currently competing in the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup France 2018 will still be allowed to continue to participate in the tournament on an exceptional basis given that the tournament is underway.

In Ghana, it is noted that formal investigation proceedings are currently being carried out by the chairperson of the investigatory chamber of the Ethics Committee against Mr Nyantakyi, who has been provisionally suspended by a decision taken by the chairperson of the adjudicatory chamber of the Ethics Committee. However, the Bureau of the Council considers that the petition introduced by the Attorney General to the High Court of Justice to start the liquidation process of the GFA constitutes undue influence in the affairs of the GFA in contravention of art. 14 par. 1 i) and art. 19 par. 1 of the FIFA Statutes.

Under these circumstances, the Bureau decided that if the petition to start the liquidation process of the GFA is not withdrawn by Monday, 27 August 2018 at 12:00 (CET), the GFA will be suspended with immediate effect. The suspension would be lifted only once the above-mentioned petition is withdrawn and FIFA is given written proof thereof.’’