FIFA Council To Deliver Verdict On Nigeria’s Protest
Petition Escalates to FIFA’s Top Body
THE dispute between the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) and Democratic Republic of the Congo has reached the highest level of global football administration, with FIFA calling an emergency meeting of its Council.
Sources indicate that while FIFA’s disciplinary committee examined the petition in detail on Monday, members concluded that the gravity and wider implications of the case required a decision by the Council itself.
The protest is regarded as high-profile, with both sporting consequences and political undertones reportedly highlighted in Nigeria’s submission.
Heavyweights Set for Deliberation
The FIFA Council, the organisation’s supreme decision-making body, will meet Tuesday in Zurich to deliberate on the matter. The Council consists of 28 members drawn from the six continental confederations and is led by FIFA president Gianni Infantino.
Top football administrators expected to take part in the session include Shaikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa, Aleksander Ceferin and Patrice Motsepe, among others.
The Council will assess the findings earlier reviewed by FIFA’s Ethics Committee alongside arguments presented by both parties before issuing a binding verdict.
The outcome of the emergency session is anticipated to clarify FIFA’s position and potentially set a precedent for handling similar disputes in international football.
