The visiting President of world football governing body, FIFA, Gianni Infantino, has ruled that there is crisis in the leadership of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF).
The FIFA President who spoke to news men at the Presidential Villa, Abuja on Monday, shortly after meeting President Muhammadu Buhari said: “I don’t think there is any crisis in football management in Nigeria. There is an elected president in place and he is functioning.
“In a big country like Nigeria, you are bound to see opposition; that’s what you see,” Infantino said.
He said that he discussed football development in Nigeria when he had the meeting with President Buhari, saying: “I have had some intense discussion on football in Nigeria and Africa. “We discussed how we can best develop football in Africa because there are talents, potentials and passion to do great things in football in Nigeria and Africa.”
The FIFA President said that he had the mandate to ensure accountability and transparency in the organization and that one of his mandate is to develop football.
A statement by presidential spokesman, Femi Adesina, said that the FIFA boss had during the meeting with Buhari, asked the Nigerian authorities to pay attention to infrastructure and find a lasting solution to the problem of violence and insecurity at match venues.
“I foresee Nigeria as bedrock for the development of the game in Africa, however infrastructure, stability and security are needed to make this happen.”
Buhari was said to have promised at the meeting that his administration will pay keen interest to accountability and transparency to fast-track football development in the country.
Infantino was accompanied on the visit by FIFA Secretary-General, Fatma Samoura; the Minister of Youth and Sports Development, Solomon Dalung; President of NFF, Amaju Pinnick and the President of Nigerian Olympics Committee, Mr. Habu Gumel. [myad]
