FIFA had ‘robust and illuminating sessions with the leadership of the NFF at the 66th FIFA Congress in Mexico City,” where the president of football’s world governing body, Infantino, promised to visit Nigeria in a few weeks.
Quoting NFF President, Amaju Pinnick, the report said during the visit, Infantino will pay a courtesy call on President Muhammadu Buhari, attend the finals of the NFF/ZENITH Bank Future Eagles Championship, have an evening with Corporate Nigeria and also have an interactive session with a horde of African FA Presidents, who will also be in Nigeria to receive him.
The report also quotes Pinnick as disclosing: “The FIFA President says Nigeria is a big country and a massive footballing nation that should help with the new FIFA leadership’s drive to truly develop the game. He is excited about our various capacity–building and youth development programmes and that is why he is coming to watch the NFF/ZENITH Bank Championship finals.
“He sees a lot of potential and dynamism in the current NFF leadership and says he would love to work with the NFF for the general development of the game.”
An NFF source, who pleaded anonymity, told The Guardian yesterday that the FIFA president’s visit has presented stakeholders in the country’s football the opportunity to resolve the crisis in the game.
“We expect that FIFA will during the visit impress on Nigerian leaders the need to allow football laws rule the game instead of doing things that will continuously ridicule the country.
“Every four years since 1999, Nigeria is taken on a ride by overambitious individuals, who present us before the international community as a lawless country. Our belief is that part of the outcome of Infantino’s visit is a permanent solution to the crisis,” he said.
Meanwhile, the NFF has announced that the Super Eagles international friendly match against Luxembourg has been brought forward by 24 hours instead of the previously fixed date of June 1.
According to the NFF, the friendly, which will still hold at the Josy Barthel Stadium in Luxembourg City, was moved back as a result of the Tour de France cycling competition involving Luxembourg.
The NFF said the Luxembourg Football Federation sent a letter on Friday to explain that the match had to be shifted to May 31, 2016 because of the Tour de France cycling competition, which the country is involved in.
“The change in date will not in any way affect our programme. The entire contingent will move to Luxembourg from Rouen in France, where we will play Mali on May 27.
“We will still have three days to train for the match against Luxembourg,” Eagles’ Team Administrator, Enebi Achor, told thenff.com. Before the game against Luxembourg, the Super Eagles will meet Mali on May 27 in Rouen, France, in another international friendly.
Some members of the technical crew and administrative officials of the team have now been issued Schengen visas, enabling them to enter the two countries for the two matches.
The NFF also revealed that it has submitted fresh applications for those who were earlier denied visas by the French embassy. The Super Eagles will use both friendly matches to prepare for the 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifiers to be played later in the year. The match in Luxembourg will take place at 7.00 p.m. on May 31 at the Josy Barthel Stadium in that country’s capital city.
