FIFA SLAMS NANF

World football governing body, FIFA, has asked that the 'offending' Nigerian group, National Association of Nigerian Footballers (NANF), which dragged the Nigeria Football Association (NFA) to court over the August 26 polls be sanctioned.

In a recent letter to the NFA, which was also made available to the National Sports Commission (NSC), FIFA directed that NANF be sanctioned by NFA. However, this has been a tall order because NANF is not recognised by the NFA.

The players' union affiliated to the NFA, which duly participated in the August 26 elections, is the Association of Professional Footballers of Nigeria (APFON).

'A sanction of the offending member as ordered by FIFA is not possible because NANF is not a member of the NFA,' a source informed MTNFootball.com.

'However, there is a possibility that some of the individuals behind this fiasco will now be singled out for long-term bans from football.' The Lagos High Court will also be told when it resumes hearing today on the contempt charges against over a score of the country's top football officials that NANF does not have a locus standi to drag the NFA to court.

There were speculations over several court injunctions leading to the August polls. This included the one reportedly got by Segun Odegbami at the Kudu High Court in Abuja, which was later found to be a ruse, even after the NSC formally ordered the NFA to respect the injunction. Odegbami, also denied being behind that court order.

There was also another court order reportedly got from an Ilorin court, which no one is talking about now.