Chris Giwa Dismisses FIFA Ban Threat

The new head of Nigerian football, whose disputed appointment has
thrown the domestic game into turmoil, has dismissed the threat of
sanctions from world governing body FIFA.

"We have seen the letter from FIFA and digested the full content of
it," said Chris Giwa.

"Nothing has changed as far as we're concerned. We will present our
position to FIFA... and they will be convinced beyond any reasonable
doubt."

Giwa took the helm of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) last
Tuesday, ousting the incumbent president Aminu Maigari, who was
prevented from attending an executive committee meeting after being
arrested by the secret police.

(PHOTO: FROM LEFT: FORMER NFF BOARD MEMBER, VICTOR BARIBOTE; NEW BOARD
MEMBERS, MR FELIX OBUAH, CHIEF EFFIONG JOHNSON, MR SANI FEMA; NFF
PRESIDENT, MR CHRIS GIWA AND CHIEF OBINNA OGBA, AFTER THEIR MAIDEN
VISIT TO THE MINISTER OF SPORTS, MR TAMMY DANAGOGO, IN ABUJA ON
THURSDAY (28/8/14).

Maigari's detention -- allegedly to stop him chairing the meeting -- led
to Nigeria's referees' association to direct its members not to take
charge of league games and league organisers to suspend weekend
fixtures.

FIFA waded in to the row on Friday, telling the NFF that it did not
recognise Giwa's appointment and ordered him and his newly "elected"
officials to stand down by midnight on Monday or face sanctions,
including a possible ban.

A ban would throw into doubt Nigeria's first 2015 Africa Cup of
Nations qualifier against Congo on Saturday. Nigeria's Super Eagles
are the defending champions.

But Giwa said: "We call on Nigerians not to panic. The NFF is not
intimidated and we do not expect any sanction because we have done the
appropriate thing. For us, it is noise-making."

Nigerian football has been embroiled in a bitter leadership struggle
since the World Cup after Maigari and his executives were first sacked
by a court and a government administrator took over.

The court order was later set aside but Maigari was then impeached on
corruption charges by his own executive committee but then reinstated.

FIFA said proper procedures had not been followed and ordered fresh elections.

Nigeria's sports minister Tammy Danagogo has endorsed Giwa but club
owner Bertram Ekenwa described this as "an act of gangsterism".

"He has failed to understand the dynamics of football in this country
and has insisted on imposing an unpopular candidate on us," said
Ekenwa.

"He is behind the crisis. He should either resign or be sacked because
his poor handling of the matter has embarrassed everybody including
the government he represents."