Gusau Inaugurates NFF Fact-Finding Committee on National Team Setbacks
Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) President Ibrahim Musa Gusau, MON, has inaugurated the Federation’s Fact-Finding Committee on Nigeria Football Setbacks, charging its members to conduct a thorough investigation with sincerity, diligence and a strong sense of responsibility.
The committee was constituted following the Super Falcons’ failure to qualify for next year’s FIFA Women’s World Cup finals.
According to the NFF, its mandate is to investigate the direct and remote causes of the poor performances of Nigeria’s national teams in recent times, with particular focus on the Falcons’ unexpected failure to qualify for the global tournament.
‘You are to probe into the direct and remote causes of the poor outings of the National Teams in recent times, but with specific reference to the unexpected failure of the Super Falcons to qualify for the World Cup,’ Gusau said during the inauguration. ‘You will have two weeks to do the job and submit your report.’
The NFF president expressed confidence in the committee’s ability to identify the causes of the setbacks and recommend solutions to address the problems confronting Nigerian football.
‘We have composed this committee believing that you will come up with solutions to the present malaise, having played crucial roles in the Nigeria game in one way or the other for a very long time,’ Gusau added.
Chairman of the committee, Ambassador Fanny Ikhayere Amun, MON, pledged that the panel would approach its assignment with a high sense of responsibility and consult people connected with the issues under investigation. He also said the committee would receive memoranda from concerned members of the public.
‘We see this as a call to a very important national duty. It is not something that can be approached half-hearted; we have to immerse ourselves fully into the processes and come out with a report that all who have a stake in the Nigeria game will be proud of,’ Amun said.
‘We must endeavour to speak the truth at all times and be very diligent.’
Other members of the committee are former Super Falcons captain and four-time Women AFCON winner Desire Oparanozie; former Super Eagles captain and AFCON gold, silver and bronze medallist Mutiu Adepoju; former Nigeria U20 strategist and President of the Nigeria Football Coaches Association, Ladan Bosso; and former FIFA referee and former Head of the Department of Management Studies at the National Institute for Sports, Dr Alex Mana.
Former Nigeria international and Deputy Director in the NFF Technical Department, Nasiru Jibril, will serve as secretary of the committee.
