Following robust and illuminating sessions with the leadership of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) at the 66th FIFA Congress in Mexico City, the President of football’s world governing body, Gianni Infantino, has promised to visit Nigeria in a few weeks.
NFF President, Amaju Pinnick, said at the weekend that during the visit, which date will be communicated in a number of days, the world’s number one football administrator will pay a courtesy call on President Muhammadu Buhari, attend the finals of the NFF/Zenith Bank Future Eagles Championship, have an evening with Corporate Nigeria and also have an interactive session with a horde of African FA Presidents who will also be in Nigeria to receive him.
Pinnick said: “The FIFA president said Nigeria is a big country and a massive footballing nation that should help with the new FIFA leadership’s drive to truly develop the game.
“He is excited about our various capacity-building and youth development programmes and that is why he is coming to watch the NFF/Zenith Bank Championship finals.
“He sees a lot of potentials and dynamism in the current NFF leadership and said he would love to work with the NFF for the general development of the game,” observed Pinnick yesterday.
Infantino took office at the head of world football after winning election at an extraordinary general congress in Zurich on February 26, 2016. The 46 year-old Italian’s motto is “bringing football back to FIFA and FIFA back to football.”
At the recently-ended FIFA Congress in Mexico City, the world body appointed Senegalese Fatma Samba Diouf Samoura, 54, as its first-ever woman Secretary General. The multi-lingual Samoura, who spent 21 years working for the United Nations, will take office next month.
