Nigeria attempt to avoid lengthy Fifa suspension

Posted by admin Headlines, Soccer, Sports Thursday, October 30th, 2014

By Oluwashina Okeleji
BBC Sport, Lagos
Nigeria hope to have avoided a lengthy ban from Fifa after a regional high court overturned its recent decision to void last month’s football elections.
Fifa had given Nigeria until Friday to reverse last week’s ruling by the Jos High Court that annulled the 30 September election of Amaju Pinnick as Nigeria Football Federation president.
President Goodluck Jonathan intervened on Wednesday to end the crisis.
Fifa has not confirmed if Nigeria will escape a ban which would run until May.
Football’s world governing body wrote to the NFF on Tuesday, warning them the latest instance of government interference – prohibited under Fifa rules – risked the country being banned from global football until the next Fifa congress.
On Wednesday President Jonathan held talks with the two main protagonists in the long-running NFF saga, the Fifa-recognised president Amaju Pinnick and the man who claims he should have the role, Chris Giwa.
The president then ordered Giwa’s associates to withdraw their case which had led to the ousting of Pinnick.
And on Thursday the legal action, which had been initiated by two members of the previous NFF executive led by Giwa, was stripped of its authority.
BBC Sport understands reinstated NFF officials have subsequently communicated to Fifa the latest developments in the hope that the governing body will ease its stance.
Nigeria are desperate to avoid being thrown out of qualifying for next year’s Africa Cup of Nations, which would also mean they would miss the chance to defend the title they won last year.