Governing Bodies
NFF BOSS, PINNICK CHARGES ADHOC COMMITTEE TO WORK IN GAME’S INTEREST
President of the Nigeria Football Federation, Amaju Melvin Pinnick on Tuesday inaugurated the ad-hoc committee set up by the football –governing body to investigate the death of Nasarawa United player Chineme Martins, charging the panel to come up with robust and sincere recommendations that will constitute the standard protocols for football organization in the country going forward.
“I am happy at the calibre of the people who make up the membership of this committee and I have no doubt you will come up with the right protocols that must be adhered to before any football match takes place anywhere in Nigeria. This is the time to make difficult decisions and I trust you to make them for us.
“Your job is a very serious one. You are free to tinker with the terms of reference and avail us the steps that will safeguard the future of our players in the areas of medical, safety and security.
“We pray that the soul of Chineme Martins rest in peace but we are pained by his death and we must use it as a wake-up call to enforce compliance with the provisions of Club Licensing as well as the fresh medical and security protocols that this committee will draw up.”
Pinnick and members of the committee, as well as NFF Executive Committee member Aisha Falode who was present at the inauguration observed a one- minute silence in honour of the departed Chineme Martins, who slumped and died during a Nigeria Professional Football League match between his club Nasarawa United and Katsina United at the Lafia City Stadium on Sunday, 8th March 2020.
Chairman of the committee, Dr. Peter Singabele, who is a member of the CAF committee on sports medicine, thanked the NFF President for the opportunity given the committee to take a very critical look at organization of football matches in Nigeria, pledging that with the experience, energy, assiduity and sincerity of members, the committee will draw up recommendations that will ensure that such lapses as led to the unfortunate death of Chineme Martins never recur in the country’s football.
After the inauguration, committee members paid a visit to the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium, venue of the now postponed National Sports Festival to conduct checks on safety, security and medical facilities and equipment, and provided advice on areas in need of uplift and upgrade.
Specifically, it advised that three more exit gates being constructed at the arena be finished quickly, ambulance’s cylinder must always be filled with oxygen, the clinic should have a sterilizer and that examination tables and showers are non-negotiable in the doping control room.
The committee will also visit Lafia City Stadium for similar checks, before concluding its work and submitting its report to the NFF President.
Other members are Mazi Amanze Uchegbulam (Chairman of the Imo State Football Association, former 1st Vice President of the NFF and former Vice President of the CAF Appeal Board); respected technocrat and retired senior civil servant, Abba Abdullahi Yola; Dr. Paul Onyeudo, head of sports medicine of the Federal Ministry of Youth and Sports; Tade Azeez, President of the Nigeria Referees Association; Tijani Babangida, President of National Association of Nigeria Professional Footballers and; Salihu Abubakar, chief operating officer of the League Management Company.
Commissioner of Police Umar Baba, Oladunni Oyekale, Francis Adejoh, Dr. Ibrahim Gyaran and Miss Kisu Remi Sulola are the other members, with China Acheru as secretary.
Member of the NFF Executive Committee, Ibrahim Musa Gusau, NFF’s Director of Communications Ademola Olajire and NFF’s Head of Legal/CAF Safety and Security Officer Okey Obi are co-opted members.
FIFA’s independent Ethics Committee has banned former Guyana Football Federation (GFF) General Secretary Ian Alves from all football-related activities for five years after finding he sexually harassed female staff members.
FIFA also fined Alves 20,000 Swiss francs ($22,000) after determining that he had breached provisions of the FIFA Code of Ethics relating to the protection of physical and mental integrity, abuse of position and general duties.
“FIFA has a strict stance against all forms of abuse in football,” the organisation said on Monday.
The decision followed a review of written statements from the victims, documents provided by the GFF, submissions from Alves, and other evidence gathered during the investigation.
Alves stepped down from his position in 2024.
The ban came into force on Monday, when the terms of the decision were notified to Alves, and the full grounds for the ruling will be communicated within 60 days in accordance with the Code of Ethics, FIFA added.
The GFF did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment. Alves could not immediately be reached for comment.
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FIFA President Gianni Infantino said on Thursday that he planned to seek re-election for a fourth term in a bid to continue to lead the governing body of world soccer.
Infantino confirmed he would run for the 2027–2031 term in the closing moments of the FIFA Congress in Vancouver, which comes less than two months before the start of the World Cup.
The election will be held on March 18 in Morocco, which is set to co-host the 2030 World Cup.
Infantino said he was “honoured and humbled” to have the chance to run for a fourth term.
The Italian-Swiss took office in 2016, replacing Sepp Blatter, and was re-elected unopposed in 2019 and 2023.
Infantino has pushed for the expansion of FIFA competitions during his tenure, with this year’s World Cup in North America the first to feature 48 teams, while the women’s tournament in 2023 has been expanded to 32 teams.
Infantino’s tenure has also drawn some criticism over issues such as high World Cup ticket prices and the decision to award the inaugural FIFA Peace Prize to U.S. President Donald Trump at the World Cup draw in December.
Earlier this month, the council of South American football’s governing body (CONMEBOL) said in a statement it would unanimously support the 56-year-old if he decided to seek another term.
-Reuters
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The supporters of Vancouver Whitecaps, a professional football (soccer) club in Canada, have staged a protest outside the FIFA Congress on Thursday, voicing fears that the Major League Soccer club could be relocated as uncertainty deepens over its ownership and long-term future.
The club is one of Canada’s most historic football institutions and has long been a central part of Vancouver’s sporting identity.
Around 100 fans gathered as delegates arrived for the annual FIFA meeting in Vancouver, chanting, singing and waving club flags in a show of solidarity. The demonstration comes just days after Vancouver Whitecaps FC revealed difficulties in securing a buyer willing to keep the club in the city.
The Whitecaps disclosed earlier this week that “stadium economics, venue access and revenue limitations” have complicated efforts to sell the club, despite a 16-month search for new ownership.
Season ticket holder Derek Hawksworth said supporters felt compelled to act amid growing fears of relocation.
“I wanted to come down given the threat of the team possibly moving,” he said. “It’s a rich history with the Whitecaps in North America… we want Vancouver to stay and not relocate. The history is here, and we want to continue with that history moving forward.”
The Vancouver Whitecaps are a professional football (soccer) club based in Vancouver, Canada. They currently compete in Major League Soccer (MLS), the top-tier league in the United States and Canada.
Concerns were heightened by reports that cities such as Las Vegas and Phoenix are leading contenders should the club relocate.
Vancouver Mayor Ken Sim has urged intervention, calling on the provincial government — which owns BC Place — to negotiate a “bridge deal” that would allow the team to remain while plans for a new stadium are explored. The club’s current lease at BC Place expires at the end of the year.
Despite the off-field uncertainty, the Whitecaps have been one of the standout teams this MLS season. They currently sit second in the Western Conference with 24 points from nine matches, just three points behind the San Jose Earthquakes.
For supporters, however, performances on the pitch offer little comfort as the future of their club hangs in the balance — a situation they hope global football leaders gathering in Vancouver will not ignore.
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