Odegbami: FIFA Intervention Opens New Chapter for Nigerian Football Reforms
Oru Leonard
Former Nigeria captain and football administrator, Chief Segun Odegbami, has described FIFA’s intervention in the ongoing efforts to reform football administration in Nigeria as a positive and necessary development.
Odegbami spoke following a three-hour meeting in Abuja involving representatives of FIFA, the Confederation of African Football (CAF), the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) and other major stakeholders in Nigerian football.
The former Green Eagles captain, who participated in the meeting, said the discussions were held in a cordial atmosphere, with stakeholders able to address longstanding challenges confronting Nigerian football without rancour.
In a reflection on the meeting titled “Meeting with FIFA – foto no dey lie!”, Odegbami said the gathering provided an opportunity for members of the Nigerian football family to reconnect and engage directly on issues affecting the administration and development of the sport.
He said the FIFA delegation demonstrated a clear understanding of the challenges facing Nigerian football, noting that the international football governing body had arrived in Abuja already well briefed on the major issues.
“The FIFA delegation, in their few remarks during the conversation, demonstrated that they know the main issues with Nigerian football pretty well,” Odegbami stated.
According to him, the meeting also enabled FIFA to obtain additional perspectives and information that could contribute to its assessment and subsequent recommendations on the way forward.
Odegbami said the discussions had strengthened the prospect of meaningful reforms in the administration of Nigerian football, stressing that changes were becoming unavoidable.
“Reforms are coming, with or without a Normalization Committee,” he declared.
He further observed that there appeared to be considerable convergence among stakeholders on some of the immediate issues requiring attention.
The former international, however, noted that FIFA would have an important role to play in ensuring that any decisions eventually reached through the reform process are effectively implemented.
“It is also clear that only FIFA can provide the instrument to enforce any final decisions,” he said.
Odegbami also acknowledged that achieving lasting reforms would require concessions from the various parties involved, suggesting that compromise would be an important part of the process.
“There shall be likely compromises by all the parties, everyone giving up a little and taking a little,” he added.
For Odegbami, however, one of the most significant outcomes of the Abuja engagement was the atmosphere of goodwill that characterised the meeting.
He described FIFA’s intervention as “a blessing” and “a necessary step” towards addressing the administrative challenges in Nigerian football and creating the conditions for agreed reforms to take effect.
“Mission to Abuja accomplished,” Odegbami concluded, saying he left the meeting encouraged by the “good feelings” among the participants.
Credit: Maxwell Kumoye
