Tension rocks Nigerian Football on new NFA

Following the disquiet that attended last week’s stakeholders meeting called by Sports Minister, Bolaji Abdulahi, to find a way forward to the lingering legal tussle in Nigerian football, fresh indications have emerged that sports authorities may have perfected a plan to set up a new ‘Nigeria Football Association’, NFA.

Inside sources revealed that the plan will be made as a follow-up to a court judgment a forth-night ago, declaring that the NFF and the Nigeria Premier League are unknown to Nigerian law.

The grand design, it was further gathered will see the new NFA, inaugurated by the National Sports Commission (NSC), after which a visit to FIFA, will seek the understanding of the world body and possibly set up a normalization committee.

The development has sent football managers in the country warning of the danger of such a move with several qualifiers staring the nation in the face.

Nigeria plays Kenya in an U-17 World Cup qualifier for women in Abeokuta , this weekend, then face an U-20 Women qualifier and the all-important Nations Cup qualifier against Rwanda in Kigali by February 29.

Fears are that such a move at this time may lead to a FIFA hammer, even as the NFF leadership, say they are aware of the development and will make legal moves to vacate the court order on it.

“We hope such a move is not initiated because we have been distracted enough and Nigerians should know where to finger-point if anything happens to our qualifiers”, an NFF board member, who prefers anonymity hinted.