The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) yesterday endorsed the League Management Company’s (LMC) plan to fix the calendar of the Nigerian Professional Football League (NPFL) any time from November 15, 2020, and end it in June 2021. The federation, however, advised the LMC to ensure full adherence to the Federal Government’s COVID-19 protocols and other requirements prescribed by the government.
The federation also approved the appointment of former Super Eagles Coach, Augustine Eguavoen, as the country’s new technical director.
Rising from its executive committee meeting yesterday, the federation in a communiqué also reminded the clubs that full compliance with the Club Licensing regulations is mandatory for any side willing to take part in the NPFL. The federation “also mandated the NNL, NWFL, and NLO to synchronize their calendars with that of the NPFL with each of them commencing within three weeks of the elite League in line with the Federal Government’s directive.”
Reacting to the advise from the Federal Ministry of Youth and Sports Development on the Anambra State Football Association elections, the NFF noted that “it was not only bound by Association Football protocols and the principles of fairness, but also by the supremacy of the NFF Statutes.”
Noting that the constitution of a caretaker committee was in order, “and that in line with the NFF Statutes and furtherance of the protocols and principles mentioned, the process for the election of the Anambra State FA Board had to go ahead as planned.
“The executive committee recalled that the emergence of Senator Ifeanyi Ubah, who had written the petition to the Federal Ministry of Youth and Sports Development, as Chairman of Anambra State FA, arose under similar circumstances of an election conducted by a caretaker arrangement. It further reiterated that the NFF Statutes have adequate provisions for any aggrieved party to ventilate any complaints they may have.”
The federation also endorsed a proposal for a review of the NFF statutes beginning from the second quarter of next year “in its determination to take care of perceived grey areas, remediate any lacuna and take care of sections that may be open to myriad interpretations, for the development and sustenance of Nigeria football.”
On the appointment of Eguavoen as its new technical director, the NFF said the former national team defender will work “with Paul Aigbogun (Deputy Director, Technical & Scouting); Terry Babatunde Eguaoje (Consultant on Coaching & Development); Abdulrafiu Yusuf (Assistant Director, Coaching & Development); Siji Lagunju (Assistant Director, Training & Development) and; Garba Lawal (Chief Technical Officer). The appointments are with immediate effect.”
On next year’s CAF elections, the NFF said it has endorsed its president, Amaju Melvin Pinnick, “to vie for any elective position in the forthcoming CAF and FIFA elections as deemed appropriate.”
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