The football federations of Nigeria and Ghana may by suspended by FIFA on August 20 and August 27, respectively, following the countries' authorities inappropriate interference in the federations' affairs, FIFA said in a statement on Tuesday.
MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 14th August, 2018) The football federations of Nigeria and Ghana may by suspended by FIFA on August 20 and August 27, respectively, following the countries' authorities inappropriate interference in the federations' affairs, FIFA said in a statement on Tuesday.
In June, media reported that the Ghanaian Supreme Court ordered President of the Nigerian Football Federation (NGF) Amaju Melvin Pinnick to step down with Chris Giwa, who had been contesting Pinnick's appointment since 2014 and was banned by FIFA in 2016, to step in as his replacement.
"If by Monday, 20 August 2018 ... the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) offices are not handed back to the legitimate NFF executive committee under President Amaju Melvin Pinnick, who was duly elected on 30 September 2014, the NFF will be suspended," FIFA said in a statement published on its official website.
FIFA added that the Nigerian women's national team, which is currently taking part in the FIFA Under-20 Womens World Cup, would be allowed to continue playing in the tournament if the men's national team was suspended since it had already started.
In July, FIFA banned then president of the Ghanaian Football Association (GFA) Kwesi Nyantakyi, who is also a member of the FIFA Council, from football for 90 days following accusations of accepting a $65,000 cash gift.
According to FIFA, while the investigation into Nyantakyi is currently underway, the Ghanaian Attorney General's petition to the country's High Court of Justice demanding that the GFA be liquidated represents an "undue influence" on the federation.
"The Bureau decided that if the petition to start the liquidation process of the GFA is not withdrawn by Monday, 27 August 2018 ... the GFA will be suspended with immediate effect," the statement said.
FIFA said that the bans could be lifted only if the NFF confirmed that it had regained control of its offices and if the Ghanaian Attorney General's petition was withdrawn.
