Fifa lifts Nigeria suspension

The world governing body has lifted the suspension placed on the country for government interference

Fifa has lifted the suspension that was imposed on the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) on 9 July 2014 on account of interference.

A release sent on Friday stated that: “FIFA has noted that the court proceedings and order preventing the president of the NFF, the NFF Executive Committee members and the NFF Congress from running the affairs of Nigerian football that prompted the suspension have been withdrawn.

“As statutory order has been reinstated at the NFF and the legitimate bodies reinstalled, FIFA has decided to lift the suspension as of today, Friday 18 July 2014.

“The lifting of the suspension means that all rights of the NFF as a FIFA member as defined in article 12 of the FIFA Statutes are reinstated,” it said.

In its reaction, the NFF said it will commence “arrangements to ensure that the U-20 Women National Team, Falconets, travel to Moncton, Canada next week for a final training camp ahead of the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup taking place in the same country, and for the U-17 boys to fly to Democratic Republic of Congo for a 2015 African U-17 Championship qualifier on Sunday, July 27.”