Supporters Club deplores NFF’s ‘negation’ of contributions to national teams

The Nigerian Football and Other Sports Supporters Club has taken the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) to task over its alleged negation of the club’s contributions to the successes and growth of the national teams.

Specifically, the supporters body is worried that the NFF failed to recognise its activities at the federation’s recent yearly general assembly, in Delta State.

The supporters expressed worries that the NFF invited football administrators and stakeholders to Delta State to review the previous year without inviting the club.
  
The Supporters Club Chairman, Samuel Ikpea, said, traditionally, the NFF General Assembly, apart from reviewing the federation’s performance, also provides an opportunity for the recognition of the contributions of critical stakeholders towards the development of football in the country.
 
Ikpea said that it is unfortunate that the 14-paragraph communiqué issued at the end of the meeting made no mention of the Supporters Club members’ selfless efforts in the last one year despite not receiving any form of subvention, or grant from the football federation during the period in review.
Ikpea said that members of the club paid their way to Uyo, Akwa Ibom State to support that Super Eagles against Benin Republic in an Africa Nations Cup qualifier on September 10.

This victory, he said, was significant as the Super Eagles got their pound of flesh from their neigbours who had earlier beaten Nigeria 2-1 in a World Cup qualifier. He said the first meeting also allowed Benin Republic to record their first-ever victory against Nigeria.

But how did this happen when members of the Supporters Club were not carried along on the trip to Kigali? This remains a mystery, which is yet to be unraveled, but can be best described as one of the great wonders and efforts of the Nigeria Football Supporters Club to improve football under the Ibrahim Gusau-led NFF.”

Ikpea added: “During the last AFCON in Cote d’Ivoire early this year, where the Super Eagles finished second behind the hosts, the Nigeria Football Supporters Club made their massive presence by road, and all those present left their jobs, and personal businesses to travel and cheer the Super Eagles up, even when there was no subsidy, grant, or any form of aid from the NFF. Yet the Supporters Club in their usual selfless, sacrificial nature, provided transportation,  accommodation, as well as, feeding for fans. 

“Sadly, their vehicle broke down on their way back home after the AFCON, and mischief makers were swift to go on social media and attempt to ridicule the suffering of the supporters club, but I, as the national  chairman of the Nigeria Football Supporters Club, described it as a suffering that was encountered while serving Nigeria selflessly and by extension a symbol of national sacrifice for Nigeria.”