FIFA/NFF meeting: Nigeria has nothing to fear – Okpala

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FIFA President Gianni Infantino looks on during the award ceremony at the end of the ASEAN Championship Cup 2026 final football match between Vietnam and Thailand in My Dinh National Stadium in Hanoi on August 26, 2026. (Photo by Nhac NGUYEN / AFP)

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.Players’ body kicks against unequal representation

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.Insists, ‘state FA chairmen must not outnumber us’

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By Jacob Ajom

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As Nigerians await the meeting between officials of FIFA and stakeholders in Nigerian football tomorrow in Abuja, a former Nigerian international, Sylvanus Okpala has said that Nigeria has nothing to fear.

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Speaking with Sports Vanguard yesterday, Okpala said insinuations about possible negative outcome from FIFA fact-finding mission were unfounded. “Nigeria has nothing to fear. The mass resignation of members of the NFF board and the General Secretary was preceded by the massive pressure from the football public.

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Okpala said Nigeria and FIFA were pursuing a common goal, which is the growth of Nigerian football. “Our football was going down and Nigerians cried out and asked that those managing their football should resign, which they did. I don’t think FIFA has issues with that because they too want the game to grow and they cannot come here and run it for us. They can only advise us on what to do. There have been resignations in other countries where their officials failed to deliver too. I don’t see how our case is peculiar,” he said.

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Meanwhile, Chairman, Advocacy for Nigeria Football Reform Initiative, Prince Harrison Jalla has insisted that the Players Union representatives to attend the FIFA meeting slated for tomorrow in Abuja should be six, same number as allocated to the State Football Association chairmen.

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He accused the NFF of laying a foundation for another structural imbalance for the new era, which must be resisted from start.

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“In their letter of invite dated 9th September for the FIFA meeting, they allocated six slots to the State Football Association chairmen, while the Players Union bloc was allocated three slots. This is an anomaly that should be corrected,” Jalla wrote in a release made available to Sports Vanguard.

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“We can’t rebuild our football on a faulty foundation. The F.A. chairmen cannot outnumber the Players Union in the new dispensation, whether in meetings, reconstitution of the Congress or standing committees.” he insists.

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“The NFF 2010 Statutes, as amended, is very clear on the status of its five federating units as being equal,” he submitted.

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