Governing Bodies
EX-INTERNATIONALS BERATE TARIBO WEST OVER ‘SINKING’ COMMENTS
A couple of former Nigerian international players have lambasted former defender, Taribo West over his remarks against the leadership of the Nigeria Football Federation, including his statement that Nigerian Football is ‘sinking’, which they dismissed as ‘silly’.
According to a press release by the NFF, former utility player Pascal Patrick, who was in Nigeria’s 1996 Olympic gold medal –winning U23 squad and is presently co-ordinator of the Super Eagles as well as Chairman of the Bauchi State Football Association, lashed West as “irrational” and failing to bring any statistics to the table to support his “silly remarks” about the state of Nigerian Football.
“What I know and remember is that this year, Nigeria finished third from the biggest-ever AFCON championship in history (involving 24 teams) and Nigerians are excited about a young and strong team that almost defeated Brazil in a friendly match and looks very promising for the future.
“I also know that this year, the Super Falcons reached the knockout stage of the FIFA World Cup for the first time in 20 years, and last year, we came very close to reaching the Round of 16 at the FIFA World Cup in Russia.
On his part, former defender Chikelue Iloenyosi described Taribo West’s comments as the “ranting of a disgruntled fellow.”
“We are aware of a small group of disgruntled fellows and scandal-mongers to which West now belongs, so we are not surprised. Nigeria has finished this year ranked 31st in the world – the highest for a very long time.
“Nigeria won gold and silver in the football event of the African Games in Morocco. Even the losses of the Falcons and the U23 boys in the Olympics race were near misses, as the Falcons only lost out on the away goal rule and the U23 boys lost only one match by the odd penalty goal at the U23 AFCON in Egypt.
“Taribo West was appointed to coordinate the 1994 Super Eagles that were honoured by the NFF at the AITEO-NFF Awards earlier this year even though he was only on the fringes and was not in the winning team. We remember how he praised the NFF at the Awards. Now that he has joined those creating a toxic environment, Nigerian Football is ‘sinking’ in his blurred eyes.”
Iloenyosi stated that any former Nigerian international joining the band of detractors to poison the same football environment from which they all benefitted should be ashamed of himself.
“It is a shame for Taribo West to join this negative group. They are not helping Nigerian Football in any way. Despite all their actions and noise, the Nigeria game holds great promises for the near future. Even the Golden Eaglets that lost out in the second round of the FIFA World Cup remains the youngest we have ever presented at that level and they will do very well in their careers and for the senior teams in the near future.
“Our responsibility is to provide support and encouragement for those who are in leadership positions and to advice them on certain policies if we see they are going wrong. Not to descend to the level of teaming up with negative and destructive opposition groups.”
Governing Bodies
Nigeria becoming an epicentre of global badminton as Francis Orbih enters the Badminton World Federation Council
Laurels on the courts and now glory in the boardroom sums up the mark that badminton is making in Nigeria.
The President, Badminton Federation of Nigeria (BFN), Francis Orbih, has been elected as a council member of the Badminton World Federation (BWF).
The election took place during the BWF Annual General Meeting on Saturday in Xiamen, China.
Orbih emerged victorious over top contenders from other African countries.
He will join Cameroon’s Odette Assembe Engoulou on the council, while Chipo Zumburani (Zimbabwe) and Hadia ElSaid (Egypt) missed out.
An elated Orbih expressed his gratitude to fellow badminton presidents across the globe for their trust and support.
He said, “I am deeply honoured by the trust placed in me by my peers across the badminton world.
“I look forward to quality representation, driving development initiatives, and strengthening badminton’s global reach over the next four years.”
Orbih also acknowledged the support of the Federal Government of Nigeria, particularly the National Sports Commission (NSC), which he said played a significant role in his successful bid.
“The Chairman and the Director General of the NSC monitored the entire process. I’m grateful for their involvement and confident Nigeria will benefit from this,” he stated.
He further appreciated the BFN board members and the Nigerian badminton community for their prayers and continued belief in his leadership.
“From the day I declared my intentions, the board members of BFN have been supportive, and I promise not to disappoint them,” Orbih concluded.
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A former member of the FIFA Council, Mamoutou Toure, has been released from jail in Mali after almost two years in detention for alleged corruption, Malian media reports said on Wednesday.
Toure, president of the Malian Football Federation since 2019, was released after 622 days in prison on Tuesday.
He served on the FIFA Council, world football’s all-powerful decision-making body, for four years until last month when he lost his seat after failing to contest new elections.
The 67-year-old was arrested in August 2023 on allegations of embezzling $28 million of public funds but was granted a provisional release order by the Malian courts, reports said.
He was accused of misconduct during his time as the National Assembly’s financial and administrative director from 2013-2019.
Toure denied all charges and, during his time in jail, was last August re-elected as Malian Football Federation president for a second consecutive term, with his supporters claiming he was a victim of a conspiracy fuelled by detractors.
While in jail, he received a letter of support from FIFA president Gianni Infantino. However, as of last month, Toure is no longer a member of the FIFA Council or the Confederation of African Football’s executive committee.
-Reuters
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The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has denied reports of an outstanding debt to former captain Christian Chukwu and has challenged anyone with verifiable documents to prove otherwise.
Chukwu, a former national team captain and chief coach, died last Saturday.
The Nigeria Football Federation decried statements in a section of social media that the football-ruling body was indebted to the deceased.
Reacting to one statement on social media that claimed NFF owed the 1980 Africa Cup of Nations-winning team captain the sum of $128,000, NFF General Secretary, Dr Mohammed Sanusi, said: “There is no record in the NFF of any outstanding indebtedness to ‘Chairman’ Christian Chukwu.
“During the first term of the Board headed by Amaju Pinnick, a committee was set up to diligently peruse the papers of coaches who were being owed, even from previous NFF administrations.
“That committee was given the clear mandate to verify all debts and ensure that the coaches being owed were paid immediately. I am aware that the ‘Chairman’ was in the employ of the NFF between 2002 and 2005, before he was relieved of the post following the 1-1 draw with Angola in a FIFA World Cup qualifying match in Kano in August 2005. There is certainly no record of indebtedness to him in the NFF.”
Sanusi challenged anyone with genuine and verifiable documents of NFF indebtedness to any coach, who has worked with any of the National Teams over the past two decades, to come forward and tender those documents.
“As a credible organization that is very much alive to its responsibilities, if we are confronted with any genuine document of indebtedness to any coach, we will offset the debt immediately.”
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