No crisis in Nigerian football – FIFA president

FIFA president, Gianni Infantino, has rubbished assertions that there is crisis in Nigerian football.

Nigerian Football Federation (NFF) chairman, Amaju Pinnick and Chris Giwa, have been locked in court battles over the control of the federation.

But fielding questions from State House reporters after a meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari in Abuja on Monday, the FIFA boss observed that an elected leadership was in place at the football house and was functioning.

He said: “I don’t think there is any crisis in football management in Nigeria. There is an elected president in place and he is functioning.

“In a big country like Nigeria, you are bound to see opposition. That’s what you see.”

However, he said there was a lot to be done in football development in Nigeria in the areas of organisation, training and better framework.

“When it comes generally to football development in Nigeria, work need to be done in organisational structures, setting of training centres and better framework,” he said.

Infantino said he would be increasing the number of countries participating in World Cup and Africa should have two more slots from its present five.

He told correspondents that it was an honuor for him meet Buhari and discuss about football development in Nigeria.

“I have had some intense discussion on football in Nigeria and Africa. We discussed how we can best develop football in Africa because there are talents, potentials and passion to do great things in football in Nigeria and Africa,” he said about his meeting with the president.