By Daily Sports on February 16, 2016

The executive board of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) will meet today in Abuja to deliberate on the measures that would be taken to ensure that the Super Eagles fly higher over the Pharaohs of Egypt in the double-header Gabon 2017 African Nations Cup (AFCON) qualifying matches slated for next month.

Nigeria will host Egypt on March 26 at the Ahmadu Bello stadium in Kaduna while the reverse comes up in Egypt some days later.

The dust raised by recent outburst of the national team coach, Sunday Oliseh, is yet to settle, despite the decision of the NFF leadership to forgive the embattled coach after he tendered an apology to the Federation and the intervention of the Minister of Youth and Sports, Barrister Solomon Dalung, who advised against any drastic action against him by his employers (NFF). One of the aggrieved stakeholders, the Sports Writers Association of Nigeria (SWAN), has issued Oliseh a seven-day ultimatum to name the sports journalists he alleged demanded money from him for positive stories. The body is still waiting for the coach’s reaction.

There are strong concerns that the ugly incident could affect preparations for the important matches against Egypt, but the NFF had expressed its resolve to work hard and ensure that the Eagles not only beat the Pharaohs in Kaduna but also in Egypt.

Also to be discussed is the expected list of players to be invited by Oliseh for the games. It was gathered last week that the head coach would not have the last say on the players to make the team as the NFF Technical Committee would vet the list before invitation letters will be sent to the players. This decision is expected to be affirmed by the board today.

The NFF had in a move to guarantee more training time for the Super Eagles, approached and got the approval of CAF to shift the date for the match, which was earlier slated for March 23.

Inside NFF sources disclosed that today’s executive board meeting will also deliberate on the fate of the three lower leagues, the Nigeria National League (NNL), The Nigeria Women Football League (NWFL), and the Nigeria Nationwide League (NNWL), which have been without an elected board, since the expiration of the boards last November. The composition of a new elected board for the league have become imminent so as to avoid a looming crisis following outcry by major club owners and stakeholders in the league who have insisted that only an elected board would be allow to conduct the new season for the leagues, a decision that could jeopardise the commencement of the hew season for the three lower leagues. (The Authority)

•Photo shows NFF President Amaju Pinnick.

Source Daily Sports

Posted February 16, 2016

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