Nigeria World Cup participation not under threat

Nigeria Football Federation 1st Vice President/Chairman, Legal Committee, Barrister Seyi Akinwunmi, has assured Nigerians that the ongoing court case between NFF President Amaju Pinnick and owner of Giwa FC, Chris Giwa won’t make the world governing body FIFA to ban Nigeria from participating at the 2018 World Cup.

This comes after last week Friday verdict from the Supreme Court that sent both Giwa and Pinnick to the lower court for retrial.

The statement from the NFF reads: “NFF 1st Vice President/Chairman, Legal Committee, Barrister Seyi Akinwunmi, said the NFF Board appreciated the reasoning of the apex court in refusing the prayers of the appellants, which if granted would have accorded them some kind of legitimacy, against the backdrop of an ongoing administration of Nigerian Football which is at the cusp of taking Nigeria to the world’s greatest football event, the World Cup.

“He disclosed that the NFF’s lawyers are confidently prepared to argue the case afresh and look forward to finally putting the matter to rest and to prove to the world that Nigerian football can continue to be run in its orderly manner.

“He referred to the case as a mere distraction for Nigerian football which ought not to have been instituted in the first place given the convention for resolution of football disputes.

The 1st Vice President said: “We are law-abiding citizens of this great country, and we have no qualms about starting the case afresh. The Supreme Court did the right thing in the circumstances, and while we must be careful not to discuss matters which are subjudice, we must note that the appellants have within the norms in sporting disputes, actually exhausted all legitimate channels in this matter, including arguing their position, and failing, at the Court of Arbitration for Sport.”