Says, enough of lackadaisical attitude from players
Emmanuel Ukudolo l Tuesday, April 18, 2023
ABUJA, Nigeria – The Nigerian Football Federation, NFF has vowed to clampdown on football merchants, posing as agents to players in the national teams in a bid to curb the poor and very embarrassing performance of national teams in international competitions.
The NFF took the decision during the NFF executive committee meeting held on Monday, April 17, 2023. The NFF said it will henceforth mete out stiff sanctions on whoever is caught aiding or abetting, dealing in the ignoble activities, stressing that it will be deal with culprits, irrespective of who they are in the society.
“Genuinely disturbed by the vexed issue of agents and football merchants around the various National Teams and their debilitating effects on the performance of the teams over the past few years, the Board vowed to henceforth, mete out stiff sanctions to whoever is caught aiding or abetting, dealing, perpetrating or perpetuating the ignoble activities of these nefarious individuals no matter their roles, status or pedigree”, the NFF said in a statement containing resolutions arrived at during the meeting attended by Ibrahim Musa Gusau (President); Yusuf Ahmed (Member); Babagana Kalli (Member); Sharif Rabiu Inuwa (Member); Ganiyu Majekodunmi (Member); Sunday Dele-Ajayi (Member); Aisha Falode (Member); Nse Essien (Member); Margaret Icheen (Member); Timothy Heman Magaji (Member) and Mohammed Sanusi (Secretary).
The NFF also decided to constitute boards for the Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL), the Nigeria National League (NNL), the Nigeria Women Football League (NWFL) and the Nigeria Nationwide League One (NLO).
After appraising the preparations that have been afforded the team pre-competition, including a proposed 10-day final camping programme in North Africa, the board minced no words in charging the U17 Boys’ National Team (Golden Eaglets) to deploy its best efforts in overcoming all before it to win the Africa U17 Cup of Nations taking place in Algeria between 29 April and 19 May, and in the process earning a ticket to the FIFA u17 World Cup finals taking place later this year.
While noting that the bronze-medal performance of the U20 Boys, Flying Eagles at the Africa U20 Cup of Nations in Egypt was below-par, the NFF board exhorted the technical crew and the players to see it as a national duty to win the FIFA U20 World Cup for Nigeria when the tournament takes place in Argentina between 20 May and 11 June.
The board expressed satisfaction with the new positive spirit and winning mentality in the camp of the senior women national team, Super Falcons, which has seen the team win its last three international matches. However, with the bigger picture of the biggest-ever FIFA Women’s World Cup competition coming up in Australia and New Zealand this summer in mind, the Board admonished the technical crew to work even harder to give confidence to the players that they can indeed stand their own against the world’s best.
The NFF board stated that it will do even more to prepare the team for the big challenge with another grade A friendly match in Europe and a two-week camping in Australia before the kick-off of the tournament on 20 July.
The board expressed distaste with recent results of the Super Eagles and the U23 Boys, and fully endorsed the NFF President’s stated position that the Federation will never beg any player to wear the nation’s colours. It added that whoever is not motivated for one reason or the other to represent Nigeria should always be bold enough to state this at the point of invitation, noting that any perceived lackadaisical attitude by any player wearing Nigeria’s colours at international level will no longer be treated with kid gloves.
The board assured Nigerians at home and in the Diaspora that it remains very focused and working assiduously towards proactively and vigorously developing Nigeria Football from the grassroots, as well as providing adequate support and encouragement to the youth teams to flourish and produce players for the senior teams, and also to engender a conducive environment for the blossoming of a Football Economy that will, sooner than later, begin to contribute to the nation’s Gross Domestic Product.
