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Tag: Fifa

  • NFF crisis: FIFA rejects Dalung’s proposed visit to Zurich

    World’s Football governing body, FIFA have turned down a proposed visit by a Nigerian delegation, led by the Minister for Sports, Solomon Dalung in a bid to discuss the ongoing leadership tussle rocking the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF).

    Dalung Nigeria are facing a race against time to avoid a worldwide ban from football after FIFA gave Nigeria until Monday, August 20, 2018 to handover the administration and offices of the Football Federation to Amaju Pinnick and his Secretary, Mohammed Sanusi.

    In a bid to circumvent FIFA’s judgment, www.aclsports.com exclusively scooped that Dalung wrote to FIFA on Wednesday, August 15, through the office of the Nigerian Ambassador to Switzerland, seeking to meet with the FIFA President Gianni Infantino alongside members of his reconciliatory committee and Chris Giwa, head of the other faction.

    However, FIFA, in a swift reply to Dalung’s request, signed by its Secretary General Fatma Samoura and made available to www.aclsports.com rejected the idea while reiterating the stance of the Bureau Council of FIFA to ban Nigeria on Monday if they fail to do as requested.

    “While we are aware of the seriousness and urgency of the matter, we regret to inform you that we are not in a position to respond favourably to your request for an appointment with the FIFA Ieadership. In fact, the FIFA President is indisposed during the proposed period,” stated FIFA in their response.

    Those on Dalung’s proposed delegation to Zurich include; Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Youth and Sports Olusade Adesola, former NFA Chairmen, Ibrahim Galadima and Anthony Kodjo Williams, former NFF Secretary General Bolaji Ojo Oba, Amaju Pinnick, Mohammed Sanusi and Chris Giwa.

    “Moreover, we would Iike to recall that one member of the proposed delegation, Mr Chris Giwa, is currently under a worldwide ban, in accordance with the decision of the FIFA DiscipIinary Committee dated 10 January 2017 to extend the five—year ban from taking part in any kind of footbaII-related activity imposed by the Nigeria FootbaIl Federation’s (NFF) Disciplinary Committee on 12 May 2016,” added FIFA.

    The governing body also reminded the Minister that the only channel with which it relates to its member bodies is through the legitimate Football Federation and advised him not to use other means in the future.

    “We would Iike to emphasise that we normally communicate with and through our member associations, in this case the NFF under its Iegitimate President Amaju Melvin Pinnick.

    “Consequently, we would be grateful to have any future correspondence be routed through the NFF directly,” said FIFA.

    The Nigerian government has been making efforts to ensure that Nigeria escapes the FIFA hammer and the Acting-President, Yemi Osinbajo has held meetings with the NFF President Pinnick and with the rival, Chris Giwa on resolving the impasse. It remains to be seen to what effect or reason the Minister’s latest move is hinged on.

  • NFF crisis: FIFA can’t ban Nigeria, Giwa’s lawyer says

    NFF crisis: FIFA can’t ban Nigeria, Giwa’s lawyer says

    A lawyer, Ardzard Habilla, has said that the Federation of International Football Association (FIFA) cannot ban Nigeria over the lingering leadership crisis in the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) which needed to be sorted out internally by the country’s judiciary.

    Habilla, who is counsel to Chris Giwa, an NFF factional President, said this in Abuja on Thursday while addressing newsmen on the threat by FIFA to ban Nigeria from all football activities following intervention by the court.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Giwa had dragged the Pinnick-led board to court over forceful takeover of the NFF secretariat following Pinnick’s emergence as president in an election conducted on Sept. 30, 2014.

    The election prevented Giwa who claims to have emerged as NFF president at an earlier election on Aug. 26, 2014, from assuming office.

    It will be recalled that the Supreme Court had in April, set aside a 2016 judgment of the Appeal Court on the leadership tussle and sent the matter back to the Federal High Court sitting in Jos, Plateau, which had earlier mandated Giwa to take over as president.

    Habilla told newsmen that the threat by FIFA was a calculated attempt to subvert the constitution of the country and an act of neocolonialism.

    “Do we take it that FIFA laws are superior to the judgment of the highest court in our land — the Supreme Court, and has FIFA elevated itself before the constitution of Nigeria?

    “When we went to Court of Arbitration for Sports (CAS), it said that the issue before it is not the validity of the election, and that it is the domestic law of Nigeria that should determine the validity of an election or elections.

    “FIFA is bound by the decision of CAS and that is why the Giwa-led board went to court to determine the validity of those elections,” he said.

    “So, if CAS gave this judgment that domestic laws of a country should determine the validity of its elections, why should FIFA threaten to ban Nigeria, when this is the decision of CAS and FIFA is bound by the decision of CAS?

    “If FIFA is aggrieved with the decision of CAS, it has the right to go the Swiss Court to seek judicial review, so, FIFA cannot continue to play double standard.

    “As we speak, FIFA has never for one day heard from Giwa on this matter rather it prefers to go by the tactics of the Pinnick-led board.”

    He urged FIFA to purge itself of bias and respect the country’s judicial system or face another round of challenge at CAS.

    According to Habilla, it is ironical for Pinnick to accept the position of CAF Vice-President made possible after a court in Ghana sacked the country’s FA Chairman who was the then CAF Vice-President, and then, refuse to accept a court judgment in his own country.

    “FIFA is not supposed to interfere in domestic affairs; article 69 (2) of the NFF statutes says `domestic affairs should be determined in Nigeria and FIFA jurisdiction only comes in when it involves international disputes’.

    “So, FIFA cannot ban Nigeria; I challenge FIFA, if they feel they are impartial in this matter, let them come to Nigeria or invite both parties to Zurich, Switzerland; that is the rule of natural justice.

    “We want to know if FIFA can approbate and reprobate all at the same time.

    “Recall that FIFA in responding to a petition by one Barrister Leo Igbokwe, admitted that it has no powers to interfere in the internal matters of NFF, so, what has changed now? It has now assumed powers to interfere in the domestic matters of NFF,” he said.

    He wondered why FIFA had refused to recognise the Giwa-led board which was duly elected on Aug. 26, 2014.

    Habilla said: “No one in Nigeria has challenged the validity of that election before NFF Electoral Appeals panel which was legally constituted by the former NFF executive committee led by Aminu Maigari.

    NAN

  • FIFA to suspend Nigeria if Giwa remains in NFF offices

    The Bureau of the FIFA Council will next Monday August 20 suspend Nigeria from engaging in football activities if the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) offices are not handed back to the legitimate NFF executive committee under President Amaju Melvin Pinnick, who was duly elected on 30 September 2014,

    Nigerian football politics took a new dimension last Monday, when Chris Giwa resumed at the offices of the Nigeria Football Federation in Abuja, as the president of the football body.

    Giwa has been locked in a leadership tussle with the Amaju Pinnick-led NFF board, after an order from a Jos High Court stopped the election which brought Pinnick to office on September 30, 2014 in Warri, Delta State.

    According to a media statement on the official website of FIFA on Tuesday, the NFF will be suspended with immediate effect for contravening art. 14 par. 1 i) and art. 19, as well as art. 14 par. 1 a) of the FIFA Statutes.

    The statement also stated that the suspension would be lifted only once the NFF, under President Amaju Melvin Pinnick and General Secretary Mohammed Sanusi, confirms that it has been given back effective control of the NFF and its offices.

    Furthermore, the Bureau also decided that if the suspension of the NFF takes effect, the Nigerian team, the Falconets currently competing in the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup France 2018 will still be allowed to continue to participate in the tournament on an exceptional basis given that the tournament is underway.

  • Nigeria, Ghana risk being suspended over federation leadership crisis – FIFA

    World football governing body FIFA on Tuesday said it would go on to suspend Nigeria and Ghana from football activities if they failed to comply with its instructions by Monday.

    FIFA, in a statement by its Media Office, said it had been notified about ongoings in the two federations, and it viewed them as “undue interference in their affairs’’.

    It said Nigeria must ensure the NFF offices in Abuja are occupied by the Amaju Pinnick faction of the federation’s Congress by Monday.

    FIFA however said whatever decision it would take would not affect the Falconets, Nigeria’s under-20 women team, who are currently in France participating in the 2018 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Glass House has been occupied recently at different times by both the Chris Giwa and Pinnick factions of the federation’s Congress

    This occupation has however been with the aid of men of the Nigeria Police and the Department of State Services (DSS) at such times.

    While Giwa’s occupation was said to be “at the instance of the courts’’, that of Pinnick was said to be “on the orders of Presidency’’.

    In the case of Ghana, the country has until Aug. 27 to stop the process of liquidation of the Ghana Football Association.

    Below is the full text of FIFA’s statement, unedited:

    “Two decisions of the Bureau of the FIFA Council in relation to undue influence in the affairs of the Nigeria Football Federation and the Ghana Football Association have been notified on 13 August 2018.

    In line with art. 16 par. 1 of the FIFA Statutes, the Bureau of the FIFA Council decided that if by Monday, 20 August 2018, at 12:00 (CET), the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) offices are not handed back to the legitimate NFF executive committee under President Amaju Melvin Pinnick, who was duly elected on 30 September 2014, the NFF will be suspended with immediate effect for contravening art. 14 par. 1 i) and art. 19, as well as art. 14 par. 1 a) of the FIFA Statutes.

    The suspension would be lifted only once the NFF, under President Amaju Melvin Pinnick and General Secretary Mohammed Sanusi, confirms that it has been given back effective control of the NFF and its offices.

    Furthermore, the Bureau decided that if the suspension of the NFF takes effect, the Nigerian team currently competing in the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup France 2018 will still be allowed to continue to participate in the tournament on an exceptional basis given that the tournament is underway.

    In Ghana, it is noted that formal investigation proceedings are currently being carried out by the chairperson of the investigatory chamber of the Ethics Committee against Mr Nyantakyi, who has been provisionally suspended by a decision taken by the chairperson of the adjudicatory chamber of the Ethics Committee. However, the Bureau of the Council considers that the petition introduced by the Attorney General to the High Court of Justice to start the liquidation process of the GFA constitutes undue influence in the affairs of the GFA in contravention of art. 14 par. 1 i) and art. 19 par. 1 of the FIFA Statutes.

    Under these circumstances, the Bureau decided that if the petition to start the liquidation process of the GFA is not withdrawn by Monday, 27 August 2018 at 12:00 (CET), the GFA will be suspended with immediate effect. The suspension would be lifted only once the above-mentioned petition is withdrawn and FIFA is given written proof thereof.’’

    NAN reports that the NFF has been engulfed in a leadership crisis since 2014 when two elections were held into the Executive Committee of the federation.(NAN)

  • Former African Player of the Year vows to appeal FIFA ban

    Former African Player of the Year vows to appeal FIFA ban

    Former Football Association of Zambia President KalushaBwalya has revealed he will appeal the two-year ban handed him by FIFA’s adjudicatory chamber of the independent Ethics Committee.

    Bwalya was banned for allegedly receiving benefits from banned Qatari official Mohammed Bin Hammam after investigations made by the committee according to a statement on FIFA’s official website.

    Bwalya, reportedly received $80,000 cash “gift” from disgraced Qatari business mogul Mohammad Bin Hammam last year but he claimed it was a debt he got on behalf of the association and not to influence the 2018 or 2022 World Cup bid voting. He was also fined 100,000 Swiss francs ($100,600, £78,900).

    In a statement released on his official Twitter handle Bwalya said that he is not guilty of any offence and vowed to fight to clear his name.

    “I am surprised and saddened by today’s (Friday) receipt of the notification from the FIFA Ethics Committee adjudication. I have instructed my legal team to immediately appeal this decision urgently and would like to state that I am NOT guilty of any offence which allegedly took place,” the statement reads.

    “I’ve never done and will never do anything to bring the beautiful game into disrepute, and stand by the facts provided by me to the Committee. I unfortunately cannot provide any further details, as I’ve been advised by my legal team that to do so may jeopardize my chances of obtaining leave to appeal. FIFAs decision is not final and I will fight to clear my name. I thank all my fans for their ongoing support.”

    FIFA’s Ethics Committee said Bwalya, a Confederation of African Football executive committee member, was banned for two years from “all football-related activities (administrative, sports or any other) at both national and international level”.

    FIFA said in a statement it had been investigating the 54-year-old since February 2017 “focused principally on benefits that MrBwalya had received from Mr Bin Hammam”.

  • FIFA bans former African Player of the Year

    FIFA bans former African Player of the Year

    Zambia’s former African Footballer of the Year, Kalusha Bwalya, has been banned from the game for two years by world governing body FIFA after an investigation into his links to banned Qatari official Mohammed Bin Hammam.

    The adjudicatory chamber of FIFA’s Ethics Committee on Friday said that they had banned Bwalya, a member of the executive committee of the Confederation of African Football (CAF) for two years from all football-related activities.

    FIFA said in a statement that they had been investigating the 54-year-old Bwalya since February 2017 .

    “Focused principally on the benefits that Bwalya had received from Mr Bin Hammam.

    “The adjudicatory chamber found Bwalya guilty of having violated Article 16 (Confidentiality) and Article 20 (Offering and accepting gifts and other benefits) of the FIFA Code of Ethics.

    “A fine in the amount of CHF 100,000 ($100,573.2) was also imposed on Bwalya.”

    Bwalya, was voted African Player of the year in 1988 and later went on to be coach of the Zambia national team and president of the Zambian Football Association. He was not immediately reachable for comment.

    Bin Hammam was banned for life from football by FIFA in 2011 for his part in a cash-for-votes scandal. The Qatari has denied any wrongdoing.

    Reuters/NAN

  • CAS dismisses ex-FIFA Sec Gen, Valcke’s appeal against ban

    The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) dismissed former FIFA Secretary General Jerome Valcke’s appeal against his 10-year ban for breaching the world football body’s code of ethics.

    The court, which is at Lausanne in Switzerland, said the ban and the 100,000 Swiss franc (about $100,290 or N38 million) fine were “wholly appropriate”.

    Its action has thus confirmed the decision made by FIFA’s Appeal Committee in 2016.

    Valcke, who was former FIFA president Sepp Blatter’s top aide, was found to be involved in the resale of FIFA World Cup tickets and other ethics violations.

  • 7.7m football fans visited Fan Fest during Russia 2018 – FIFA

    The Russian edition of the FIFA Fan Fest welcomed 7.7 million visitors, world football governing body FIFA said on Thursday.

    In a statement by its Media Office, FIFA said this was about 50 per cent more than the 5.2 million fans who were at the 2014 edition in Brazil.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the FIFA Fan Fest took Russia by storm, with many fans at the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia having many exciting times.

    “Every match day tens of thousands of Russian and international football fans opted for the FIFA Fan Fest locations as their venues of choice.

    “They watched a total of 917 hours of live football and enjoyed an exciting music and cultural entertainment programme featuring 646 bands playing 323 hours of live music, all free of charge.

    “The close collaboration between FIFA, the Local Organising Committee (LOC), the Host Cities and our Commercial Affiliates made this project possible,” FIFA’s Chief Commercial Officer, Philippe Le Floc’h, disclosed in the statement.

    “The FIFA Fan Fests offered a free, safe and highly entertaining space to the 7.7 million local and international fans that came to watch matches in those spectacular locations.”

    “The work has already started to make the FIFA Fan Fest experience even more entertaining in the future and we are looking forward to welcoming fans at the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar,” he added.

    NAN reports that, according to statistics provided by FIFA, the highest day’s attendance was on June 25, when Uruguay faced host country Russia and 499,000 fans attended 11 venues.

    The host city of Moscow achieved the best attendance with a staggering number of 1,887,200 visitors.

    For the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil, top venue Rio de Janeiro had 937,330 visitors in total.

    The FIFA Fan Fest has been part of the Official Programme of the FIFA World Cup since the 2006 edition in Germany.

    It featured again at the 2010 and 2014 editions in South Africa and Brazil respectively.

    NAN

  • World Cup Ends Today; Or Does It? – Tony Ajero

    World Cup Ends Today; Or Does It? – Tony Ajero

    By Tony Ajero

    Today, the curtain falls on this once-in-four years global fiesta. More than 3.2 billion people (the population that saw the 2014 edition) will follow the France Croatia battle for the best soccer playing nation in the world. Croatia have never won it. France have – once when they hosted it in 1998. And they beat Croatia on the way to that triumph that placed them among only eight nations ever to win this cup.

    This game will be won in three key battles: Croatia’s Modric and Frenchman Kante – who will be at his best today in the midfield? Modric, with his first best position in distance covered and recoveries, and third in passes completed in this World Cup seems better placed. Yet, Kante who gives over one hundred percent in work rate cannot be discounted. Mandzukic and Mbappe – who will bring the sublime to play today? The other key position will be in goalkeeping: Subasic and Lloris – who will keep out the goals and pick the ball from the net the least times?

    My heart goes to Croatia, if only for variety and hope. The French team will not want to lose another final after the one nil loss to Portugal in UEFA EURO 2016. Nine members of that losing team will file out today. On the bench, Didier Deschamps will be greatly motivated as a win will make him only the third man to win the world cup as player and coach. They must overcome the four million Croatia citizens who will solidly be behind their team. They have played the most minutes in this world cup. They are blessed with great talent. And they have been building since 1998. A measure of their continuity is that Luka Modric was in the 2006 World Cup in Germany.

    This match up holds some peculiarities: every twenty years a new nation wins the World Cup; yet no team that beats Nigeria in the run up to the finals has ever won the Cup. The first favours Croatia, the second France. Scant consolation for us – after all the hype, hope and hoopla, we are back home.

    Football: Sports, or Money, or Politics…?

    Serious nations are already working towards Qatar 2022, but the serious contenders started their Qatar preparations eight years ago. Nigeria is also seriously preparing – for failure. With Pinnick in FIFA, and Giwa in Abuja, the bell tolls for another hammer. And therefrom all sorts of hiccups in participating in qualifiers and competitions. Why all these fights?

    Simple answer is Money. Money. Money. $1.5 million is awarded to all 32 teams as participation bonus. Teams who lose at the group stage pocket $8 million each. At the first knockout phase, each home-bound team pockets $12 million. Quarter finalists receive $16 million. The world’s fourth best team gets $22 million, third placed team gets $24 million, losing finalists $28 million and the winners become $38 million richer.

    So, NFF got a minimum of $9.5 million this year. Layer atop all these money, marketing rights include the kits, official brand series etc, and we would be in the region of five billion naira. The battle is not about football principles. It is about the money. Yet, we are only scratching the surface. If only we had the right vision to, like the real players, target the big money.

     

  • FIFA confirms dates for 2022 World Cup in Qatar

    FIFA confirms dates for 2022 World Cup in Qatar

    The FIFA World Cup in Russia is still not over and the football’s governing body has revealed the dates of the next FIFA World Cup that will take place in Qatar, four years from now.

    FIFA president Gianni Infantino has confirmed the dates for the FIFA 2022 World Cup and will be played in less than a month time in 2022 between November 21 and December 18 of the same year.

    “The World Cup in 2022 will be played from November 21 to December 18: the idea is to involve 48 teams,” FIFA president Gianni Infantino said at a Press conference.

    32 teams or more. “We have agreements and a contract with Qatar.

    “For now, anything is possible. With 48 teams, many ‘regional’ tensions would be solved, “FIFA president Gianni Infantino added.