The Nation Newspaper

Tag: nff

  • NFF plan overhaul of domestic transfers

    NFF plan overhaul of domestic transfers

    Nigeria’s domestic transfer structure is to undergo a massive overhaul from next season.

    A series of embarrassing transfer disputes have occurred during the current season, mostly involving Enugu Rangers.

    One of these, involving Benjamin Francis, resulted in the expulsion of the Nigerian club from the CAF Confederations Cup, and Nations Cup star Sunday Mba was rendered inactive for months while Warri Wolves tussled with Rangers over ownership of his rights.

    These incidents have forced the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) into a plan to adjust and enforce their own rule books.

    “From next season, things will change drastically. No contract between player and club will be deemed to have been executed until the copies of the signed contracts have been deposited with the federation,” NFF official Nasir Jubril told KickOffNigeria.com.

    While this requirement is covered in the NFF transfer rules, it has not been enforced until now, and Jubril says that, and more, will change.

    “The Bosman rule will also be strictly enforced. Once a player’s contract runs out, he will be a free agent as obtains elsewhere and will not require clearance to join a new club.”

    Under the current situation, players whose contracts have expired still require clearance papers from their previous clubs before being issued licenses to play for their new clubs.

    To ensure that clubs are fully aware of these changes, plans are afoot for an end of season seminar for club secretaries and chairmen to appraise them of the changes.

  • 146-0 goal scandal NFF to brief FIFA about match-fixers

    146-0 goal scandal NFF to brief FIFA about match-fixers

    Nigeria is considering extending the life bans of players and officials involved in the 146-0 scandalous scorelines in two amateur matches earlier in July.

    According to an official of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), the match-fixing by the four amateur clubs, their players and officials is “a grave offence against FIFA rules.”

    “What they have done is a grave offence against FIFA rules. So the federation might just not stop at handing life bans here (in Nigeria). The world soccer governing body will be briefed on our decisions and relevant documents relating to the issue might be made available to FIFA as well,” the official informed supersport.com.

    “But the leadership of the federation, which is the executive committee, is yet to make a decision on that, though it is being mooted. So, it is not cast in stone but it might happen to show how the federation frowns at match-fixing and its actors.”

    FIFA had issued a statement that made it clear it was monitoring the match-fixing situation in Nigeria.

    “The matter is firstly the responsibility of the Nigerian Football (Federation). Therefore FIFA is currently monitoring the situation and waiting for action taken by the Nigerian (federation),” FIFA said in a statement to CNN this month.

    The Nigeria FA on Tuesday pronounced life bans to the players and officials of the four amateur clubs involved in the match-fixing scandal.

    The four clubs, Plateau United Feeders, Police Machine, Akurba FC and Bubayaro FC were suspended for 10 years each from football.

    NFF first vice president, Mike Umeh, announced the life bans on the players and officials to journalists in Abuja on Monday.

    “After our investigation, all the players and officials of the four clubs were involved in the scandalous and shameful act. So, all the players as well as officials of the four clubs and their technical and administrative staff who took part in the games in Bauchi are banned for life,” said Umeh.

    Plateau United feeder team demolished Akurba from Nasarawa State 79-0 while Police Machine ran over Gombe’s Bubayaro FC 67-0 in division three promotion playoff matches this month.

     

  • NFF orders fresh MRI test for Eaglets

    Determined to ensure that false age declaration is eradicated in Nigerian football, the nation’s football federation has slammed a compulsory MRI test on the current U-17 national team players

    The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has ordered a fresh Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) test for the current players of the current U-17 national team.
    Players who  featured at the last CAN Under-17 tournament in Morocco and  their counterparts picked from the screening exercise are  to undergo the mandatory test.
    The text will  be done before they report at the team’s Princeville Hotel Camp which opens on Monday (July 22) in Calabar.
    Emmanuel Ikpeme, the Federation’s Director Technical, informed that a repeat of the test was necessary to ascertain player’s current status.
    The MRI test has become a regular feature at the FIFA Under-17 World Cup since 2009 to help ascertain whether players are over age or not.
    Ikpeme said the NFF will follow the rule as stipulated by the world soccer ruling body, FIFA, to the letter.
    “We are conscious of the fact that only players within the stipulated age brackets would be allowed to compete at the FIFA World Cup,” he said. “As a result, we are equally extending the MRI test to some of the players that represented the country in Morocco.
    “We are taking every necessary step to avoid any untoward incident at the World Cup especially when we were informed by our medical team that the MRI scan deals with the rate of bone growth which cannot be determined on face value,” Ikpeme  explained.
    All the shortlisted 30 players and  numerous others on standby are due  in Abuja to undergo  the test.
  • 146 farcical goals

    146 farcical goals

    • A tale of four football teams, officials and players unveiling a metaphor of corruption

    The suspension of four clubs involved in appalling score-lines during promotion play-offs into the nation’s Nationwide League Division 3 by Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) should be an appetiser. The teams involved in the show of infamy include Plateau United Feeders FC that beat Akurba FC 79-0 and Police Machine FC that curiously walloped Babayaro FC 67-0. These despicable score-lines are alien to the country’s football.

    Whilst the video tapes of the matches were not available because of low investments in the game, the reportorial depictions of what transpired were damning. The score-sheet of the winning teams at half-time was 13 goals: Plateau United- 7-0 while Police Machine FC was leading by 6-0, trailing the United team by just a goal difference. In the bid to slyly outfox one another, resumption of the second stanza witnessed corruption of goals through magical haul of 120 of them scored between the winners. United notoriously notched-up additional 72 goals while Police Machine scored 61 more times: All these latter goals incredibly came within 45 minutes of the second half!

    We do know that the games’ score lines expectedly have attracted the negative attention of FIFA, world’s football governing body and also spawned global outrage for the nation’s football. Respected global media platforms have put the country’s soccer on the spotlight for the wrong reasons. The infamy occurred simply because winners from these matches will ultimately qualify to play in the country’s Division 3 Nationwide League. They sadly threw demureness to the winds.

    The NFF, stupefied by such paranormal results swiftly suspended, indefinitely, the four teams involved in the villainous acts. Its organising committee, through Chief Mike Umeh, 1st vice-president fumed: “It is unacceptable. This is a scandal of huge proportions…We will investigate this matter thoroughly and get to the bottom of it.” It is good that the federation has reportedly invited the police to help dig to the roots of the matter but it should not stop at that.

    In matters of such important investigation, the police fell short of public expectations in the past and this time it would be naïve of NFF to wholly leave the matter in police’ care. The owners of the teams have reportedly disbanded them but they are vicariously liable, which means they can only run but cannot escape severe sanctions. They must answer for their misdeeds.

    If at the amateur soccer level, the battle to play in the Nigerian Nationwide League Division 3 could degenerate to such macabre exhibition of do-or-die affairs, then the hope of drastically reducing corruption in the country is abysmally dim. What has just happened at the lower rung of the society, in the form of soccer sleaze, is a reflection of the degree of proclivity for vices at the higher level of the society. Nigeria regrettably has now created a shameful African record, second only to AS Adema FC of Madagascar that ridiculously scored 149-0 goals in 2002 against Stade Olympique l’Emyrne. The team that year reportedly scored numerous own goals in protest against a particular inimical decision of the game’s centre referee.

    In our view, the teams involved in these vile displays should compellingly appear before a properly constituted panel to explain how it can be possible to have that kind of mysterious football score-lines experienced in the second stanza of those games. We know that such is bewildering and the four teams’ players, their officials and match officials, for acting with flagrant impunity, and other persons that are circuitously or tenuously connected, should be barred for life from interfacing with football affairs in the country, to serve as deterrent to those contemplating such detrimental soccer act in future.

  • Mandela challenge: Eagles’ list for Bafana tie out today

    Mandela challenge: Eagles’ list for Bafana tie out today

    Super Eagles coach, Stephen Keshi, would on Wednesday release the list of invited players for the much-anticipated international friendly between Nigeria and South Africa slated for August 14 in Durban.

    Several players that featured for Nigeria at the African Cup of Nations and the Confederations Cup in Brazil would be included the list for the match tagged: “Mandela Challenge Cup.”

    New faces such as Obinna Nsofor and Shola Ameobi would also be considered for the match, futaa.com reports.

  • No friction with NFF, say Club Owners

    No friction with NFF, say Club Owners

    Club Owners in the Glo Nigeria Premier League say they do not forsee any problems with the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) regarding the constitution of an election Transition Committee.

    The Transition Committee will be charged with offering advice on how an election into the Club Owners Association would be conducted.

    Speaking with SportingLife shortly after a meeting of Premier League Clubs Chairmen and Managers (Club Owners) Held on Thursday at the Lamonde Hotel Wuse 2 Abuja, the Secretary of the body, Alloy Chukwuemeka, stated that the clubs are the owners of the league and as such have the power to determine how the league is to be run in line with FIFA statutes.

    The General Manager of ABS of Ilorin said the NFF is aware of their plans and is being carried along.

    “Clubs are the owners of the league and as such will go ahead with our election.

    “The NFF is very much aware of FIFA’s position on who owns and manages the league.

    “We always keep them notified of all developments as the authority of football,” Chukwuemeka told SportingLife.

    At the meeting which had all the 20 clubs in attendance, a five-man Transition Committee was set up to look into the process of electing a genuine Premier League body.

    The committee is headed by Barrister S.B. Aluko of Kwara United and includes Zanna Mala (El Kanemi), Dumbor Awanen (Dolphins), Alabi Demola (3SC), while Oscar Keke (Heartland) is its Secretary.

    The Club Owners hope to have properly elected officials in office before September, when the League Management Company (LMC)’s tenure will end.

    It appears however that there are clandestine moves by top officials of the LMC to stay in office beyond their term.

  • CHAN: NFF make Gambo re-assurance

    CHAN: NFF make Gambo re-assurance

    NFF General Secretary Musa Amadu says there is no reason to worry about Mohammed Gambo’s eligibility for the second leg of Nigeria’s African Nations Championship (CHAN) qualifier against Côte d’Ivoire.

    The forward has reportedly agreed a deal with Tunisia’s Club Africaine, a move that would make him ineligible once the transfer is final.

    Amadu says that is not yet the case. “We have seen the media reports on Gambo but will like to assure Nigerians that they have no reason to worry at all,” Amadu told KickOffNigeria.com.

    “He will be part of the second leg and as far as we know he is still a player of Kano Pillars. The most important instrument that decides the ownership of the player is the International Transfer Certificate (ITC) which is always domiciled with the Federation that his club is affiliated with.

    “Gambo’s ITC is here and Kano Pillars are aware of this, so there is no cause for alarm.”

    Nigeria have already suffered one continental embarrassment due to irregular transfer, with Rangers getting ejected from the CAF Confederations Cup. But Amadu says there is no danger of that happening with Gambo.

    “We have done all our checks and there will be no loopholes for anyone to take advantage of to derail our CHAN aspirations,” he added.

  • NFF congratulates Governor Imoke on 52nd birthday

    NFF congratulates Governor Imoke on 52nd birthday

    The Nigeria Football Federation has congratulated the Executive Governor of Cross River State, Senator Liyel Imoke, on his 52nd birthday, which falls on Wednesday, July 10, 2013.

    In a letter of congratulation sent to the Cross River State number one man, NFF President, Alhaji Aminu Maigari, hailed the governor and his administration’s immense support for the National Teams, particularly the Super Eagles and the Golden Eaglets, over the years.

    “It is on record that the wonderful support and hospitality that Your Excellency, your administration and the good people of Cross River State provided for the Super Eagles and the Golden Eaglets propelled both teams to qualify for African championships held in South Africa and Morocco respectively earlier this year,” Maigari noted.

    The Super Eagles found a comfortable home in the Garden City as they pursued qualification ticket for the 29th Africa Cup of Nations, which they secured in glorious fashion with a 6-1 pounding of Liberia at the UJ Esuene Stadium in November last year. Early this year, the Eagles were even more glorious as they triumphed at the Africa Cup of Nations in South Africa, giving Nigeria the coveted trophy after 19 years.

    The Golden Eaglets also made home in Calabar as they campaigned in qualification series for the African U-17 Championship in Morocco. The team won all six qualifying matches home and away and finished runner-up at the African U-17 Championship finals to qualify as one of Africa’s flag-bearers at the FIFA U-17 World Cup, taking place in United Arab Emirates between 17th October – 8th November this year.

    “No doubt, you are a huge pillar for the youth of this country, and we are of the firm belief that Your Excellency and your administration will continue to give immense support for Nigeria football in the

    years ahead,” concluded Maigari.

     

  • NFF scouts for players

    NFF scouts for players

    A head of the forthcoming qualifiers of the 2014 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup, the Nigeria Football Federation, (NFF) has commenced the process of scouting for players. An NFF source informed SportingLife. “By next week, we should be able to get a clearer picture from the international department regarding when our campaign starts. But, before then, we have started identifying players that would be invited into camp,” the source said.

    The African qualifiers, which got underway last month, was the reason for the clarification.

    “I have seen the fixtures released for each continent on the FIFA website. That of Africa actually kicked off last month and it will end in November,” he said.

    On whether applications have been submitted for the various coaching positions, our source said he was not aware. “To the best of my knowledge, nobody has told me if the team handlers have been dropped,” he said.

    Delta Queens coach, Peter Dedevbo who has been in charge since 2010 guided the team to the quarter-final before bowing out to eventual champions, France in a penalty shoot-out last year.

    Costa Rica will host the fourth edition of the championship in March in 2014.

  • Ameobi removes ‘controversial’ Newcastle clause

    Ameobi removes ‘controversial’ Newcastle clause

    Newcastle striker Shola Ameobi has cancelled a clause that stopped him from featuring for Nigeria at the 2013 African Cup of Nations in South Africa.

    There have been several reports that Ameobi may no longer play for the national team following the insertion of the controversial clause in his contract at Newcastle United that led to his exclusion from Nigeria AFCON squad.

    But officials have now disclosed that the striker has cancelled this clause, which means he is now fully committed to the Super Eagles.

    “He said the clause has been removed and he will be ready to play for the Super Eagles anytime he is called upon,”MTNFootball.com quoted a Super Eagles official, Dayo Enebi Achor , as saying on the issue on Friday.

    Enebi also quoted the vastly experienced striker as saying “I will love to play for Nigeria under Stephen Keshi because he is a good coach, above all I am very proud to be a Nigerian and will always grab the opportunity to don the green white colours of my fatherland.”

    An excited Keshi has already said he will talk to the player to reassess his u-turn in the national team and will invite him anytime he was needed in the national team.

    “He is no doubt a good player and the national team can make do with his experience anytime we call upon him,” Keshi said.

    Ameobi, who opted for Nigeria after he played for England at age-grade levels, made his long-awaited Eagles debut against Venezuela in a friendly in November last year.