Former Green Eagles captain and football activist, Segun “Mathematical” Odegbami, has described FIFA’s intervention in the crisis rocking Nigerian football as a necessary step towards reforming the administration of the game.
Odegbami spoke after participating in a two-day fact-finding and assessment mission in Abuja by a joint four-man delegation from FIFA and the Confederation of African Football (CAF).
The delegation met key stakeholders in Nigerian football as part of efforts to examine the governance and administrative challenges affecting the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF).
Odegbami said the discussions were held in a friendly atmosphere, with stakeholders given an opportunity to express their views without rancour.
In a statement shared on his Facebook page, he said the meeting with the FIFA and CAF delegation “went pretty well”, adding that members of the Nigerian football fraternity engaged the visitors in constructive discussions.
According to him, the delegation demonstrated a good understanding of the major issues confronting Nigerian football and used the meetings to deepen its knowledge of the situation.
He said the information gathered during the visit would enrich the delegation’s report to FIFA.
Odegbami also expressed optimism that the intervention could pave the way for reforms in the administration of Nigerian football.
He said the FIFA intervention was “a necessary step” towards implementing reforms, adding that changes in the football system could proceed regardless of whether a Normalisation Committee is established.
The FIFA-CAF mission comes amid continuing concerns over the administration and governance of Nigerian football, with stakeholders seeking measures to address the issues affecting the NFF.
The delegation’s findings are expected to contribute to FIFA’s assessment of the situation and any subsequent steps concerning the administration of football in Nigeria.