FIFA President Gianni Infantino has expressed the world football governing body’s readiness to work with Nigeria to strengthen football development in the country.
Infantino made the commitment following a meeting with a joint delegation from the National Sports Commission (NSC) and the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) at the FIFA headquarters in Zurich, Switzerland, on Tuesday.
The Nigerian delegation was led by NSC Chairman, Malam Shehu Dikko, who represented the country in discussions focused on the future of football in Nigeria.
In a post on FIFA’s X account, Infantino said he was pleased to meet the Nigerian delegation and discuss a shared vision for advancing football in the country.
He said the talks covered institutional matters, governance, football development and existing areas of collaboration between FIFA and Nigeria.
Infantino also stressed the importance of building stronger football structures and creating clearer pathways that would give young Nigerians more opportunities to participate and develop their talents.
According to him, the meeting also identified areas where FIFA could provide additional support to accelerate the growth of football in Nigeria, a country with a strong passion for the sport.
The FIFA president further wished Nigeria’s junior women’s teams, the Falconets and Flamingos, success as they prepare for their respective FIFA World Cup competitions.
He also thanked the Nigerian delegation for its time, ideas and willingness to work together towards moving Nigerian football forward.
Infantino’s statement also appeared to contradict an earlier purported letter allegedly from FIFA to the NSC and NFF, which claimed that the global football body had sought clarification on whether the mass resignation of former NFF President Ibrahim Gusau and the federation’s entire Executive Committee was voluntary or influenced by the Nigerian government.
Source: Vanguard
