Nigeria urges FIFA to support football reforms
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Nigeria has urged the world soccer governing body FIFA to support its effort to restructure the nation's football rather than threaten to suspend the country.
Spokesman to the country's Minister of Sports Olukayode Thomas called FIFA to respect their decision while reacting to FIFA's 48-hour ultimatum given to the government to reverse its Wednesday's decision banning the national teams from international competitions for two years.
"FIFA should give the same treatment to Nigeria in the handling of the issue of government's efforts at restructuring its football as it did to France," Thomas said.
He said the government believed that football teams needed to be respected, adding that the world soccer governing body needed to reflect on what was going on.
"I wonder why issues in this matter are not being looked at in their right perspectives; Nigeria can take a decision on voluntary withdrawal. So, the issue of ultimatum is beside the point," he added.
President Goodluck Jonathan had on Wednesday barred Nigeria's national football teams from international competitions for two years.
While the reaction to government's action has been mixed, FIFA has been silent until it issued the ultimatum at a news briefing in Johannesburg on Friday.
Thomas said it was instructive to note that FIFA had not issued any ultimatum to France though it had had cause to warn the French for what it termed government interference.
"FIFA has not given France a 48-hour ultimatum, so, why Nigeria? Why not apply the same rules in two similar situations," he added.
The sports minister's aide said FIFA and other critics of the government's action should look at what led to the move.
"They should all look at the fact that if you as a person say you cease to be a member of a political party, there should not be a problem with that," he said.
"So, they should take it that we are out of it temporarily," he added.
"Moreover, we have already informed and properly briefed FIFA about this, and they should be looking at what really led to the government deciding to toe this line," Thomas said.
FIFA expects Nigeria to rescind its decision by Monday.
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