Upholding Law and Order

The Nigeria Premier League have suspended a player of Ocean Boys and and the assistant coach of Crown of Ogbomosho.

Ocean Boys Debekeme will miss two matches for assault and for using abusive language on match officials during their week 31 game against Crown of Ogbomosho in Ilaro.

The assistant coach of Crown, Daniel Ogunbamiyi will also miss two games for encouraging and instigating crowd violence after the match against Ocean Boys of Yenagoa.

The ban takes effect from week 33 matches this weekend.

NOC POSTPONES INAUGURATION OF RUGBY BOARD

The Nigeria Olympic Committee have once again re-scheduled the inauguration of the newly elected board of the Nigeria Rugby Football Federation.

The NOC Secretary General confirmed Tuesday 12^th July 2011 as being the new date for the re-scheduled inauguration of the Nigeria Rugby Football Federation board. The ceremony will hold at the NOC Boardroom, at the national Stadium, Surulere, Lagos by 11:am prompt.

He further called on all the Rugby Stakeholders to take the new date as very important and endeavour to attend the inauguration.

The inauguration was earlier scheduled for Tuesday 24 May 2011 at the same venue, but Mr. Popoola says it had to be postponed due to the fact that the concession board members of the NRFF failed to turn up, giving an excuse of short notice, whereas all other rugby stakeholders from across the country were in attendance alongside the NOC President Eng. Sanni Ndanusa and his executive.

In a letter sent to the International Rugby Board, He enumerated the steps taken by the Nigeria Olympic Committee to resolve the "issues" as a matter of urgent importance in the wake of the perceived "ban on NRFF activities by the IRB".

He further stated that, "Subsequently, in the past four (4) months we have been holding re-conciliatory meetings with all the Rugby stakeholders in Nigeria, and we are pleased to inform you that the elections were conducted in the zones and we are now at the stage of inauguration of the new board.

The Nigeria Olympic Committee President who was to preside over the inauguration on the 24th May, 2011, was compelled to postpone the event due to the absence of the NRFF President, a position of leadership critical to the ongoing management of the re-conciliatory process. The NOC have asked the NRFF President in mail sent on 25th May, 2011, to put forward a date for the inauguration.

The NRFF as advised is to set a date for the inauguration to put behind the subject of legitimacy and recognition, which was the challenge hitherto within the NRFF family to be accepted by the international community and all its Stakeholders. A process which is almost concluded.

With all these playing out, it is hoped that they will allow reasoning to prevail and bring all rugby stakeholders on board for meaningful progress of the game in Nigeria.

2012 Olympics: FIFA disqualifies Equatorial Guinea

World football-governing body, FIFA ejected Equatorial Guinea from the race for the Women’s Football Tournament of next year’s Olympic Games in London, on grounds of infringement of the Regulations.

In a letter signed by Gordon Savic, Head of FIFA World Cup & Olympic Qualifiers Competitions, and addressed to the Nigeria Football Federation, FIFA stated, inter alia: “...As you will note, Cameroon has been confirmed to take part in this final stage of the qualifiers, after the FIFA Judicial Bodies have declared the 2 matches lost be forfeit by Equatorial Guinea in the 2nd round, due to player’s ineligibility in infringement of the Regulations”.

The import of the above is that Nigeria’s Super Falcons will now play Cameroon in the final qualifying fixture to determine Africa’s representatives at the Olympic Games’ Women’s Football Tournament, while South Africa play Ethiopia.

Cameroon lost over two legs to FIFA Women’s World Cup campaigners Equatorial Guinea in the last round, but now have a reprove and will visit Nigeria for the first leg of the final qualifying fixture on the weekend of 26-28 August this year.

Cameroon’s Lionesses will host the Super Falcons in the return leg on the weekend of 9-11 September.

FIFA has also advised the Nigeria Football Federation to inform it of the venue, stadium and kick-off time for the first leg in Nigeria.