• ‘Consultation still ongoing over Normalisation Committee’

The National Sports Commission (NSC), yesterday, described as untrue reports that the Federal Government has ordered members of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) to resign with immediate effect.

Rather, the National Sports Commission (NSC) and other relevant organs are meeting with the Federal Government to find a way of re-engineering the country’s football for better performance after a series of failures that have seen Nigeria failing to qualify for major championships in all age categories.

Recently, the NSC reportedly moved to set up a normalisation committee to manage the NFF pending the resolution of important issues affecting the growth of the game.

There were reports in the early hours of yesterday that the Federal Government had given all board members of the Ibrahim Gusau-led NFF 24 hours to quit.

But NSC Director General, Bukola Olopade, told The Guardian that there was no iota of truth in the story. He said: “We at the NSC don’t know anything about such an order to the NFF board to resign. It is not coming from us, and I want all Nigerians to disregard such rumour.

“We are meeting, and the NSC will come up with an official position soon.”

However, an NSC official, who pleaded anonymity, said that the constitution of the normalisation committee has been stalled because some NFF officials have allegedly engaged some northern emirs to lobby top officials in the Presidency to stop the move.

The idea of putting in place a normalisation committee to replace the NFF elective congress earlier fixed for September in Lafia, Nasarawa State, came after 10-time Africa Champions, Super Falcons, were eliminated from the Africa playoff for the 2027 World Cup by the Banyana Banyana of South Africa in Morocco.

The exit of the Super Falcons, who have participated in all editions of the FIFA World Cup since 1991, added to the growing list of failures by Nigeria national teams to qualify for continental assignments.

“What we have heard now is that one of the emirs told one of the estranged officials point blank that the freefall of Nigeria football is worrisome, and if not put to rest, poses a great danger for the youths.

“The emir also allegedly told the concerned official to resign honorably to avoid further embarrassment, and should stop playing on the sentiment of being “our son from the North.”

Although all NFF board members had assembled for a “crucial meeting” yesterday, none of them was ready to speak on the issue.

But the source disclosed that the NSC has settled for a sports administrator from the north to head the normalisation committee if all goes as planned.

He disclosed that the Ibrahim Gusau-led NFF board will be allowed to complete its tenure in September before the Normalisation Committee starts full operation.