The Nation Newspaper

Tag: nff

  • NFF to send 20 refs to England for training

    NFF to send 20 refs to England for training

    The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) on Friday says it will send 20 referees to England for training.

    Amaju Pinnick, president of NFF made the announcement at a maiden Southwest States Football Forum held in Abeokuta.

    He said 30 had attended training earlier in the year, stressing that the training was to acquaint them with modern trends in the sport.

    “We are investing so much in referees to develop them,” he said.

    Pinnick, however, warned that those found wanting would be blacklisted, stressing, “we expect them to reciprocate the gesture by giving us the best”.

    He said the federation had a programme for coaches, while advising referees to develop themselves in the best ways possible.

    The Chairman of the Forum, Seyi Akinwunmi, said the forum was all about the development of grassroots football.

    Akinwunmi, the 1st Vice-President of NFF, noted that the forum was a non-political association, formed without prejudice to any of other zones of the federation.

    “It is constituted to transform football administration by adopting international best practices for positive development of our numerous youths,” he said.

    Akinwunmi also said that the forum seeks to put the Southwest zone in the front burner of football.

    Those present at the brainstorming session, include former Super Eagles coach, Adegboye Onigbinde, former Technical Director, Kasimawo Laloko, ex-international, Segun Odegbami.

    Others are Ayo Omidiran, Rafiu Ladipo, Taiwo Ogunjobi and veteran journalist, Fabio Lanipekun and Ajayi Dada.

  • NFF to pay for Oliseh’s Abuja house

    NFF to pay for Oliseh’s Abuja house

    New Super Eagles coach, Sunday Oliseh, has located a house in highbrow Maitama, Abuja, and the Nigeria Football Federation has agreed to pay the annual rent of five million naira.

    A top source told africanFootball.com that “Oliseh has already seen his house in Abuja. It’s in Maitama and the rent is five million naira a year. The NFF is now preparing to pay for it.”

    Oliseh’s assistants are also be housed in Abuja as they begin the onerous task of rebuilding the Super Eagles.

    Oliseh’s predecessor, Stephen Keshi, stayed in hotels in Abuja when he was in charge of the Eagles.

  • NFF faults Leroy’s ‘poor treatment’ claims

    NFF faults Leroy’s ‘poor treatment’ claims

    The Nigeria Football Federation has reacted with “shock and disappointment” to claims by Congo national team coach, Claude Leroy, that the country’s U-23 side was badly treated prior to Sunday’s Olympic qualifying game with Nigeria in Port Harcourt.

    The veteran French trainer was upset with what he termed “poor treatment” to his team before the Central Africans fell 1-2 to the Dream Team VI at the Adokiye Amiesimaka Stadium, supersport.com reports.

    “Nigeria is a big country and I do not think it is necessary to make us wait for more than one hour at the Airport.

    “We had to wait for an hour before the bus arrived at the airport to take us to the hotel.

    “The hotel was also not good enough and I don’t think Nigeria should show this kind of behaviour.

    “I know that the Nigerian team will be well-treated in Pointe-Noire so we obviously did not deserve this kind of treatment,”supersport.com quoted Leroy as saying while responding to a question at the post match press-conference.

    The Frenchman’s outburst did not go down well with the NFF with the federation’s executive committee member, Barr. Chris Green, describing the comments as “untrue.”

    “I must say that what Leroy said is untrue. I am receiving these declarations from such a highly-respected coach with shock and disappointment.

    “I can tell you without mincing words that the Congolese were treated like Kings upon arriving in Nigeria.

    “They were lodged at the five-star Hotel Presidential in Port Harcourt-the same hotel where the Nigerian team stayed without any complaints.

    “Even Leroy was kept in a special Presidential suite at the hotel and the Congolese team was never delayed at the Airport,” Green told supersport.com.

    The second leg of the Olympic qualifying tie between Nigeria and Congo will hold on August 2 in Pointe-Noire.

  • NFF adopts measures to boost marketing strategy

    NFF adopts measures to boost marketing strategy

    The Executive Committee of Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has resolved that due regard and appropriate honour be accorded to all partners and sponsors at all of the Federation’s events and programmes, including matches of all the National Teams.

    It is the first time ever that the NFF is making a policy decision to give its partners and sponsors appropriate treatment and to facilitate the companies’ derivation of maximum mileage from all NFF programmes.

    NFF President Amaju Pinnick led the charge, following a presentation by the football body’s marketing consultant, Mr. Mike Itemuagbor.

    “We are determined to give all our partners and sponsors their due regard henceforth. They put their money into supporting the Federation’s programmes and deserve every respect and honour at all our events,” he said.

    “Certainly, we need more corporate bodies to partner with us in our efforts to seriously improve Nigeria football. But prospective partners will normally do a check on how you treat your current allies before deciding to pitch tent with you. It is natural.”

    Even before Itemuagbor’s presentation, which dwelt on the imperative of taking into consideration the interests of partners and sponsors before making important decisions, Pinnick, Vice Presidents Seyi Akinwunmi and Shehu Dikko, and chairman of the Marketing Committee, High Chief Emeka Inyama had been pushing for new and refreshing attitude towards sponsors.

    Weeks ago, the Executive Committee adopted a comprehensive document tabled by Inyama for an entirely different approach to marketing, as well as to sponsors and partners.

    Pinnick said on Wednesday: “I have said over and over again that what we are doing presently is to focus hard on what needs to be done and summon the courage to do those things. We are carefully putting in place the building blocks for a sustainable football culture, while not forgetting the mission of turning around the National Teams in order that they will always do the country proud at international level.”

  • Amuneke slams NFF over unpaid wages

    Amuneke slams NFF over unpaid wages

    Nigeria U-17 coach and former Nigeria international Emmanuel Amuneke has slammed the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) over non-payment of salaries due to him, after the NFF announced it had paid three months upfront, the salary of new Super Eagles coach, Sunday Oliseh.

    Amuneke, who is believed to be on a N1m monthly salary, claims he hasn’t been paid for several months, while questioning why the NFF have chosen to pay Oliseh, who earns N5m monthly, three months ahead without paying other national team coaches.

    “The people that paid Oliseh decided to pay Oliseh,” Amuneke said in reference to Oliseh receiving three months’ salary upfront.

    “But one thing they have to know is that there are other national team coaches working also that have not been paid.

    “So if they owe other coaches and they pay Oliseh, I think it is not fair,” Amuneke said in a radio interview.

    Speaking further, the former Barcelona winger said nobody should expect anything from him as he prepares the Nigeria U17 team for the FIFA U17 World Cup, since he is yet to be paid his salaries.

    “Well nobody should expect anything from me since they haven’t paid me,” he added.

    Amuneke was teammate with Oliseh for Nigeria in the ‘90’s.

  • Enyeama remains Eagles captain-NFF

    Enyeama remains Eagles captain-NFF

    •Keeper pardoned

    Vincent Enyeama will continue as captain of the Super Eagles after his disciplinary issue was ‘dealt with administratively’, the Nigeria Football Federation have confirmed.

    There were initial concerns that the NFF had planned to strip Enyeama of his role as skipper of the team, after he was queried by the Glass House for making ‘unguarded comments’ about the choice of Kaduna for last month’s Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against Chad. Nigeria won the game 2-0.

    But chairman of the NFF Disciplinary Committee, Christopher Green has posited that the issue has been settled without Enyeama being fined and he will continue as the Super Eagles captain.

    “He is the captain of the Super Eagles and will continue as such,” Green said.

    “He is eligible to play any day any time because he does not owe us anything. The matter has been dealt with and he’s not being fined.

    “The issue has been dealt with administratively and I can tell you that there is no problem and everything has been settled and of course he has been forgiven,” Green added.

    Enyeama had voiced concerns over the security situation in Kaduna prior to their Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against Chad in June, but went on to keep a clean sheet in the game.

    The NFF however thought it necessary to ‘discipline’ the most capped Nigeria international for making what they described as ‘unguarded comments’, a development which drew so much criticism from Nigerians.

  • NFF move in on Oliseh, Amodu clash

    NFF move in on Oliseh, Amodu clash

    The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) have moved in to ensure that there would be no clash of roles between technical director Shaibu Amodu and Super Eagles coach Sunday Oliseh.

    It is widely believed that the job description handed Amodu Shuaibu and that of Sunday Oliseh could see both men clash after the new Eagles coach was asked to also fashion out a developmental programme for the country.

    “I want to assure you that we would not allow friction between Amodu and Oliseh,” declared NFF head of technical committee Ayansi Agwu

    “Both men know their job responsibilities and the good thing is that they have worked together before, so I don’t envisage any kind of friction.

    “Amodu was part of the interview process that brought Oliseh, so I think if he had an issue, he would have stated it.”

    Amodu, who is supposed to boss Oliseh, is on a monthly salary of 800,000 Naira, while Oliseh will take home five million Naira.

  • INTERNATIONAL FRIENDLY: NFF woo Colombia for Eagles

    INTERNATIONAL FRIENDLY: NFF woo Colombia for Eagles

    •Nigeria’s side busy in FIFA-free windows of 2015
    •France, Belguim, USA too; proposal still in the works
    •Tasks agents to also search for African countries

    Sportinglife can reveal today that chieftains of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) are proposing four high profile international friendlies for the Super Eagles against Colombia, France, United States of America (USA) and Belgium.

    Although these proposals are still in the work, NFF men feel strongly that such high profile games which would also include top African countries eager to accept the offer would help the new Eagles helmsman to properly evaluate his team and make the desired changes.

    Indeed, SportingLife scooped that NFF chiefs are eager to have the Eagles play in all the FIFA-free windows for 2015, in a bid to keep the technical crew led by Sunday Oliseh very busy.

    Interestingly, discussions on the likely opponents for the Eagles are in hush tones since offers have not been made fromally to some of the countries penciled down for such  games.

  • NFF forgives Enyeama, Onazi

    NFF forgives Enyeama, Onazi

    The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has pardoned Super Eagles’ Captain Vincent Enyeama and the France based goalkeeper won’t pay any fine for the alleged comments he made against Kaduna for Eagles match against Chad in the first qualifying match of the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations.

    The Chairman of NFF’s Disciplinary Committee who doubles as the Chairman of Legal Committee of the Federation, Barrister Chris Green disclosed this shortly after the unveiling ceremony of the new Super Eagles Coach Sunday Oliseh at the Abuja National Stadium yesterday.

    According to him, “that the NFF did not say anything again about the offence committed by Enyeama means that he has been forgiven and now free to play for the Super Eagles. Enyeama’s case has been looked into and he has been pardoned and can go ahead to lead the Eagles in the next match of the 2017 AFCON.”

    Green also disclosed that SS Lazio and Super Eagles player, Ogenyi Onazi won’t be penalised, too.

    “Some of us also pleaded on behalf of Onazi for the $5,000 fine to be removed of Lazio of Italy midfielder.

     “Ogenyi Onazi has also been pardoned and cleared to play for the Eagles. So Onazi has also been pardoned and is free to play for the Eagles,” Green also disclosed.

  • Why Oliseh chose Belgian assistant

    Why Oliseh chose Belgian assistant

    Considering the decision of the newly announced head coach of the Nigerian national football team, Super Eagles, some interesting facts are playing out on why Oliseh may be most comfortable to work with Jean Francois Losciuto from Belgium as his assistant.

    Oliseh And AssistantThe assistant, Losciuto is a Belgian who has coached several African teams, who is based in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso.

    Besides being assistant to Sunday Oliseh while at Verviétois in Belgium where the new former Super Eagles captain was head coach, he was the coach of Rwandan club, Rayon Sport FC which he left for ASFA Yennenga of Burkina Faso in 2014.

    The new Super Eagles assistant coach also holds a UEFA coaching license like his boss, Sunday Oliseh.

    Sunday Oliseh and the Belgian met in Liege, his hometown where Oliseh started his international footballing career.