Nigeria to Host FIFA Executive Summit
NFF explains reason for Rohr’s contract extension
For the first time since 2009, when Nigeria hosted the FIFA Under-17 World Cup championship during which the country played host to various arms meetings of the World football –ruling body, Nigeria is set to play host to another FIFA deliberation and this time, it is the Executive Football Summit (EFS) meeting.
The event according to Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), will come up in February next year in Lagos. “Nigeria has been selected as a Member Association to host one of the 12 FIFA Executive Football Summit meetings happening between November 2017 and March 2018, as part of FIFA President Gianni Infantino’s vision of ‘bringing FIFA back to football and football back to FIFA’,” NFF President, Amaju Pinnick confirmed yesterday.
As a step in right direction, NFF has picked Eko Hotel and Suites, Victoria Island as venue and hotel accommodation for the big event, slated for 20th February 2018.
Pinnick added: “This is a very important event on the FIFA calendar. That Nigeria is deemed good enough to be among the 12 countries to host the FIFA Executive Football Summit meetings is no mean feat. It is another marker of our global acceptability, visibility and reckoning.
“The NFF opted for Eko Hotels and Suites because FIFA officials are familiar with that facility and its services. It hosted FIFA teams during the 1999 FIFA World Youth Championship and the 2009 FIFA U17 World Cup. Also important is the fact that the hotel has a new facility named The Signature, and which is of 5-Star quality and rating.
“The entire project, including the expenses of all the participants, such as their accommodation, feeding and transportation and all other logistics having to do with the programme, will be bankrolled by FIFA. ”
A FIFA official was in Lagos during the week to check out on accommodation and other facilities listed for the event.
In another development, the NFF boss gave an insight on why the federation decided to give the Super Eagles coach Gernot Rohr a fresh two-year contract.
“It was a unanimous decision of the Federation’s leadership to ensure there are no distractions of any size or complexion around Nigeria’s 2018 FIFA World Cup preparation and participation informed the offer of a fresh, two –year contract to Super Eagles’ Technical Adviser, Gernot Rohr,” he explained.
Franco-German Rohr, signed by the NFF in August 2016, has met the first milestone of his contract, which is qualifying the Super Eagles for a sixth FIFA World Cup finals. Nigeria thoroughly overhauled a so –called Group of Death, spanking 2012 AFCON winners Zambia home and away and earning four points from home-and-away clashes with fellow 2014 World Cup finalists Cameroon and Algeria. Second –placed Zambia finished six points behind the Super Eagles.
“We have decided to confront head-on any possible area of conflict or controversy, and fully resolve each and every possible friction point well ahead of the competition.
“After signing the agreement on payment to the team from expected FIFA income, the next stage was to take care of the Technical Adviser. He has done very well and does not need to go into the World Cup uncertain of his future,” stated Pinnick.
The 64 –year old Rohr, a former Germany defender, flaunts a sterling record with the Super Eagles, winning seven of 12 matches and drawing four in his 15 months in charge so far. His only loss was the 0-2 reverse to South Africa’s Bafana Bafana in a 2019 AFCON qualifier in Uyo in June 2017.
Under him, the Eagles have beaten Tanzania, Zambia (twice), Algeria, Togo, Cameroon and two –time world champions Argentina, and drawn with Senegal, Corsica, Cameroon and Algeria.