NFF wants more from Super Eagles ahead of AFCON 2023, congratulates Tinubu, Shettima

By George Aluo

The nation’s soccer governing body, NFF has charged the Super Eagles to step up their game ahead of next year’s AFCON in Côte d’Ivoire.

NFF in a communique issued after her executive board meeting in Asaba charged Jose Peseiro and his players to do more, even as it congratulated the team for qualifying with a game in hand.

Below is the NFF communique…

1) The Board warmly congratulated President Bola Ahmed Tinubu GCFR and Vice President Kashim Shettima GCON on their ascension to the highest offices in the country, while praying fervently for the success of the administration. Members recalled the several programs and projects undertaken in support of football by the new President while he was Governor of Lagos State and expressed deep faith that football will be at the crux of the new administration’s youth empowerment and international image-laundry initiatives.

2) Following the team’s qualification for the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations finals with a match to spare, with the 3-2 victory over the Leone Stars of Sierra Leone in Monrovia on Sunday, 18th June 2023, the Board congratulated the Super Eagles for their performance, but charged the team to show more zeal, cohesion and fierce dedication to national cause that will guarantee such a great outing at the finals that Nigerians will be proud of.

3) The Board directed the Technical and Legal Departments to work at a much faster pace to produce guidelines for the establishment of Football Academies in Nigeria, insisting that the guidelines were long overdue as a result of the mushrooming of all manner of ‘Football Academies’ across the land.

4) After a presentation by the General Secretary on the plans for a Send-Forth Dinner and a 15-day camping programme for the Super Falcons ahead of the FIFA Women’s World Cup finals in Australia and New Zealand (holding 20th July – 20th August this year), the Board charged the nine-time African champions to marshal their best efforts to produce a record outing at this year’s championship, which will the biggest and most colourful in the history of the competition.

5) The Board unanimously expressed satisfaction and delight with the efforts put into the organization of the just-concluded Nigeria Premier Football League season and the NPFL Playoff Championship by the Interim Management Committee headed by Hon. Gbenga Elegbeleye, and declared without mincing words that the Committee has fulfilled its mandate with distinction.

6) For its dedication to the task and the unwavering commitment to ensuring fidelity to the Statutes and the Electoral Code, as well as best practices, the Board praised its State Elections Monitoring Team for the success in the conduct of the elections so far, and encouraged it to keep working hard until elections in all the States have been conducted appropriately conducted. It noted and approved the constitution of Normalization Committees for States where rules and regulations were flouted and best practices jettisoned for personal interests. 

7) The Board promised to, within the next two weeks, constitute the Governing Boards for the Nigeria National League (NNL), the Nigeria Women Football League (NWFL) and the Nationwide League One (NLO).

8) The Board approved, with immediate effect, an increase in the number of persons in each of the Federation’s standing committees to seven (7), from the five (5) provided for in the Statutes.

9) For its consistent good efforts, drive and swiftness in implementation of policies enunciated by the Board, and its accomplishment of given tasks and assignments, the Board gave kudos to the NFF Secretariat headed by the General Secretary and challenged it to continue to improve in the discharge of its tasks, duties, assignments, functions and responsibilities.