Governing Bodies
NFF asks for greater commitment, improved performance from referees
The Nigeria Football Federation has strongly demanded that the country’s referees and assistant referees up their game in order to become very relevant and indispensable on the international scene.
This was the central theme of remarks during the badging of Nigeria’s 2022 FIFA referees, assistant referees, beach soccer and Futsal referees at the NFF/FIFA Goal Project inside the package B of the Moshood Abiola National Stadium, Abuja on Tuesday.
Member of the NFF Executive Committee and Chairman of the Referees Committee, Sharif LMC Rabiu Inuwa set the ball rolling by reminding the auditorium that Nigeria had only one official – an assistant referee – at the ongoing 33rd Africa Cup of Nations finals in Cameroon.
“That we could only have one assistant referee at the AFCON is a big indictment on all of us. We are not doing enough as professionals, and we must take this as a big challenge.
“We are proposing that we have a monitoring team for our referees who officiate internationally so that we can have accurate assessment of how they perform and conduct themselves.”
President of the NRA, Tade Azeez minced no words in saying that “Nigerian referees have failed. The NFF has been doing well to provide all the support that we need, and our FIFA and CAF instructors have also been doing their bit in trying to put us in great physical shape. But we have let them all down and we must turn a new leaf and aim for better performances.”
NFF General Secretary, Dr Mohammed Sanusi said: “To whom much is given, much is expected. Nigerian refereeing should be at a much higher level by now if the values of discipline, commitment, professionalism and integrity are held sacrosanct.
“Apart from officiating ability, there are other parameters that assessors look at that you may not be aware of. If you wish to grow, you have to be honest and fair to yourself in all that you do.”
After decorating the referees with their badges, NFF 2nd Vice President/Chairman LMC, Shehu Dikko charged the referees to develop the mental strength and fortitude to overcome their present challenges and any form of handicap, and commit to greater performances and upholding of the highest professional values at home and internationally.
A total of 30 referees, made up of 11 referees, 11 assistant referees, 4 beach soccer and 4 Futsal referees received their badges at the occasion.
Also at the event were LMC COO, Salihu Abubakar; referee instructors Calistus Chukwudi Chukwujekwu, Dave Egwu and Mohammed Ameenu; NFF Director of Communications, Ademola Olajire and; NFF Chief Technical Officer/former Nigerian international Garba Lawal.
REFEREES: Quadri Adebimpe; Basheer Salihu; Joseph Ogabor; Abdullahi Abubakar; Nurudeen Abubakar; Grema Mohammed; Kassim Abdulsalam; Yemisi Akintoye; Hannah Elaigwu; Patience Madu; Oluwafunmilayo Alaba
ASSISTANT REFEREES: Digbori Tejiri; Efosa Igudia; Peter Ogwu; Samuel Pwadutakan; Usman Isah; Hope Igho; Mimisen Iyorhe; Usman Abdulmajid; Beauty Kabenda Terah; Abibat Yusuf; Mfon Friday Akpan
FUTSAL REFEREES: Musa Dung Davon; Ndubuisi Ukah; Paul Umuago; Alhassan Bello Zuru
BEACH SOCCER REFEREES: Jelili Ogunmuyiwa; Olawale Fawole; Olayinka Olajide; Ahmed Rabiu
PHOTO: The badged referees with the dignitaries after Tuesday’s event
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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