Nigeria, Ghana could face bans: FIFA

BERLIN: Nigeria and Ghana could face international football bans this month over political interference with their football associations, world soccer’s governing body FIFA said on Tuesday in a final warning to the two African nations.

FIFA said the Nigerian federation (NFF) must be led by its elected president, voted in back in 2014, and its executive committee amid domestic challenges to the federation leadership.

“The Bureau of the FIFA Council decided that if by Monday, 20 August 2018, at 12:00 (CET), the Nigeria Football Federation offices are not handed back to the legitimate NFF executive committee under President Amaju Melvin Pinnick. The NFF will be suspended with immediate effect,” FIFA said in a statement.

“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.”

FIFA said any ban would not affect the Nigerian team currently competing in the women’s Under-20 World Cup in France as the tournament was already under way.

Nigeria also took part in the men’s World Cup in Russia in June. Ghana will also be banned this month if an order to liquidate its FA is not withdrawn.