AFCON: Drama as NFF Congress goes to war with Exco members over jamboree slots 

Nigeria’s participation in major games and championships is not complete without negative drama and the foundation for Afcon 2021 edition is being laid already.

At the last Olympic Games in Tokyo, it was the disqualification of our athletes for none compliance doping tests, athletes demonstrating because of Samsung phones, kits palaver and others.

Even before the Super Eagles kick off their campaign against Egypt on January 11 the Afcon 2021 drama has started.

This time, the bone of contention is between executive members of the board of NFF and members of the congress of NFF which include the state FA Chairman and other very important personalities in Nigeria football.

They are battling on who should be on the plane to Afcon and who should not.

Sources close to the NFF told 234sportsng.com that the NFF secretariat only made arrangements for the executive board members and a few top officials a development that did not go down well with the state FA Chairmen who believed that they should be at the Afcon by right.

Some vocal State FA Chairmen have already threatened a showdown should the entire Congress made up of 37 State FA Chairmen and seven other major stakeholders not be in Cameroon to cheer up the Eagles as they want the public to believe but their interest is the estacode that comes with the trip not necessarily to cheer our boys. 

The NFF Executive Committee are slated to depart for Cameroon on Sunday, while the faith of the NFF Congress member still hangs in the balance.

A member of the NFF advance party led by Ali Cairo, is already in Cameroon making accommodation and other arrangements for the executive board members.

But Cairo’s inability to get accommodation befitting the status of NFF executive board members is delaying their departure.

However, the shortage of hotel rooms in Garoua has delayed Congress delegates from also joining the party soon.

There is a serious accommodation problem in the Northern Cameroonian town where the Super Eagles will play their group games.

To ensure they secure accommodation for NFF executive board members an agent has been hired but if the agent could not get a place befitting their status they are toying with the of the board members shuttling between Abuja or Yola Garoua on matchday.

The President, Muhammadu Buhari had earlier named a Nigeria delegation to Afcon.

The delegation includes Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwoolu, who heads the delegation, while the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila; Deputy Senate President, Senator Ovie Omo-Agege; Chairmen, Senate and House Committees on Sports, Senator Obinna Ogba and Olumide Osoba are also in the delegation.

Other members include Head of Civil Service of the Federation, Folashade Yemi-Esan; Governor, Central Bank of Nigeria, Godwin Emefiele; Minister of Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola, Minister of Youth and Sports Development, Sunday Dare; Minister of Agriculture, Mohammed Abubakar, Minister of State for Finance, Clem Ikanade Agba; Minister of State for Agriculture, Mustapha Shehuri and Minister of State for Science and Technology, Mohammed Abdullahi. Presidential aide on sports, Daniel Amokachi, and a representative of the Department of State Security (DSS).

Nigerians knocked the government when the list of the federal government was announced as being too large and unnecessary but the NFF delegation may make the federal government delegation look like a child play especially if the members of the congress win their battle to go to Cameroon. We could be counting more than a hundred personnel from NFF alone.