How NFF gained from Infantino’s visit
When the FIFA president was in Nigeria, the attention of the world in the area of football was focused on Nigeria. That gave Nigeria mileages
Last week was a momentous one for Nigerian football, especially the leadership of the Nigeria Football Association following the successful visit of FIFA president, Givanni Ifantino to Nigeria.
The FIFA president who accompanied on the two day working visit by the general secretary, Ms Fatma Samba Diouf Samoura met with President Muhammadu Buhari and other top government functionaries including the Senate President Bukola Saraki, a football enthusiast.
He also had interactive sessions with the top echelon of the Nigeria Football Federation including the congressmen and some other ‘privileged’ football stakeholders.
Ifantino’s visit came a day after the Flying Eagles had failed to qualify for the 2017 Africa U-20 championship billed for Zambia. They were beaten 3-4 by the junior national team of Sudan.
The visit of the president of FIFA helped a great deal in diverting the attention of most Nigerians who have been critical of the NFF as they then focused on following the visit of the august visitor.
It will be recalled that most Nigerians had condemned the NFF’s decision to spend huge sums of money on the visit of the FIFA president even as national team coaches are being owed salaries and other allowances.
Such critics cited the failure of the NFF to support Dream Team VI’s preparations for the Olympics due to lack of funds as one of their reasons for opposing the decision of the NFF to host the FIFA president.
As a matter of fact, it is said the Flying had to threaten to boycott their match against Sudan before the NFF rallied round to raise some money to pacify the players and their officials. With such state of mind, the Flying Eagles failed to fly when it mattered most.
Apart from the FIFA president and his modest entourage, federation presidents from at least 18 other African nations were in Abuja on the bill of the NFF to inter-face with Ifantino.
Thus, against the background of cash crunch that has hit the NFF, most Nigerians were unwavering in their demand for explanations as to what benefits Nigerian football would derive from the visit of the FIFA president.
Despite the deafening protest, Ifantino came to Nigeria as announced by the NFF and provided the platform for the Amaju pinnick led federation to stand and preside over Nigerian football in the face of unrelenting calls for him to resign.
However, it must be noted that despite the serenity that prevailed throughout the visit, protesters led by former Nigerian international, Emeka Ezeugo succeeded in conveying the grievances of most Nigeria against the NFF to the visitor as they boldly displayed anti-Pinnick placards at the entrance into the Transcorp Hilton hotel where he was lodged.
Expectedly, the president came and delivered a lot of promises for Nigeria and African football for there were no projects for him to commission.
He only promised to help in developing football on the continent of Africa and did not come to anyone as a pleasant surprise because that is one of the responsibilities of FIFA to its affiliates.
Ifantino also cautioned African football administrators against constant bickering over leadership as he said they should pay less attention to the politics of the game.
As if calling on Nigerians to desist from demanding for Pinnick’s resignation, he advised that football administrators should not be judged based on results of matches but developmental programmes.
“When it comes to Nigeria football, let me say one thing that it is the same everywhere. Everyone is critical and everyone is criticizing when result is not there and many other issues.
“We can judge the work of a football federation based on whether the ball hit the post or enters into the goal. This is not the measure that we need to use in judging the federation.
“You need to judge it on the work they are doing in the development of football. Don’t forget one thing that you’re world champions at the U17. There are not many countries in the world which are world champions. And you should be proud of it.”
He also announced increment in the financial support to affiliates of FIFA in Africa. “As far as I’m concerned, I see the president of the country as a fan of football who wants to help the football association in terms of support. And I think together we can help when it comes to finances in particular. FIFA is increasing financial support and investment for national associations.
“Instead of 300 or 400 million dollars given till now, we have increased it to 1.3 to 1.5 billion dollars for each association every year compared to before. This will be four times more than what is coming every year in the past”.
Although reassuring, since the pledges could not translate to immediate cash for the broke NFF, the football federation is left living precariously with its financial predicaments after spending millions of naira to host the FIFA president.
Consequently, those Nigerians who viewed the visit of Ifantino as beautiful nonsense have not changed their position. They still believe the NFF simply brought the FIFA president for him to endorse the present leadership in view of the prevailing crisis.
However, the General Secretary of the NFF, Dr. Mohammed Sanusi has said the visit of the president of FIFA has nothing to do with the leadership tussle between Pinnick and Chris Giwa.
He told SHOT! that in no distant future, Nigerians would see in concrete ways the benefits of Ifantino’s visit to the country.
Meanwhile, he said while the visit lasted, the attention of world football was focused on Nigeria and that alone went a long way in projecting the good image of the country.
“I have said it several times that Nigeria gained immensely from the visit. There were so many advantages socially and politically.
“When the FIFA president was in Nigeria, the attention of the world in the area of football was focused on Nigeria. That gave Nigeria mileages.
“Politically, other African football presidents also came to be part of the visit and that also put Nigeria in a positive light. These are the issues that are positive”.
He however, said it was not possible for the president of FIFA to meet with more football stakeholders due to lack of time.
“It was very difficult for the president of FIFA with his tight schedule to meet with everybody. Still he was able to meet with the board of the NFF, federation presidents from other African countries and top government officials.
“He interacted with people and was able to do those things he came to do. His visit had nothing to do with Pinnick and Giwa,” he said.
With the successful hosting of the FIFA president and his call for peace, Nigerians are waiting with bated breaths to see what would happen concerning the crisis in Nigerian football.
It is an open secret that the NFF president, Pinnick is becoming less popular by the day and calls for him to resign without further delay have refused to die down.