NFF Gives State FAs 10-Day Ultimatum to Submit Champions

By Femi Solaja

In a bid to ensure a smooth run down of the the remaining activities for the year, the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), has given all its affiliates a 10-day ultimatum to summit the names of their respective champions ahead of this year’s AITEO FA Cup.

The tournament, which is the oldest existing football competition in the country which dated back to 1945 is currently sponsored by AITEO and the national event is expected to commence soon in spite of the current pandemic situation that had made global football calendar to be doctored as against the regular schedules.

THISDAY checks revealed that the federation had in a letter dated June 4th and signed by the Scribe of the Organising Committee, Wilfred Onaji, directed all the 36 states FAs and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) to turn in the names of their respective champions ahead of the draws ceremony and national final scheduled to hold before the end of the month.

A source at the Sunday Dankaro NFF headquarters hinted that the need for prompt action from the State Football Associations is in line with the directive from the Confederation of African Football (CAF) instructing all the National Federations to submit the names of their respective representatives in the continental club competitions for next year latest by the end of the month.

The letter read; “The Organising Committee of Nigeria Football Federation (NFF )on the directive by CAF all countries should submit by 30th June 2021 names of the teams that will take part in the various CAF Competitions.

“In view of the above, the Committee concluded that all States Football Association should produce one representative latest 14 of June, 2021. A national draw will be held at a date that will be communicated for the 37 teams that qualify.”

It is however not clear how a clear winner will emerge within such a short period of time without an abridge tournament which the country’s football experienced in the four seasons starting with the last FIFA World Cup year when the football league was inconclusive following the inability of NPFL to finish the league in 2018.

Last year, the season came to an abrupt halt owing to the global Covid-19 pandemic and the determinant factor in choosing the clubs that will represent the country in the two tiers of tournament became a subject of controversy.