LAUSANNE — FIFA Tuesday threatened to suspend the Nigeria and Ghana football federations over government interference.
Nigeria will face the wrath of world football’s governing body unless “the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) offices are not handed back to the legitimate NFF executive committee under President Amaju Melvin Pinnick”, a FIFA statement warned.
Nigeria put itself on a collision course with FIFA in July when the government’s sports ministry directed the NFF to comply with a court order to overturn Pinnick’s election and recognize Chris Giwa as its head.
The long-running dispute over who is in charge of the NFF dates back to 2014.
Giwa first claimed to have won election to the top job.
However, FIFA did not endorse the vote and threatened suspension unless it was re-run.
Pinnick won the re-run, although the vote was also deemed to have been flawed. Giwa then launched court action over the result.
FIFA said the ban would only be lifted once Pinnick has confirmed the NFF is back under his effective control.
Ghana’s problems stem from a corruption scandal engulfing suspended GFA federation boss Kwesi Nyantaki.
FIFA is on the warpath after the country’s Attorney General ordered the GFA to be dissolved.
“If the petition to start the liquidation process of the GFA is not withdrawn” by August 27 the association “will be suspended with immediate effect”, FIFA said.
FIFA statutes dictate that member states should “manage their affairs independently with no influence from third parties”.
Bakayoko moves to AC Milan
France international Tiemoue Bakayoko has signed on loan for AC Milan, the resurgent Serie A side announced Monday, bringing an end to the midfielder’s frustrating spell at Chelsea.
Milan has signed the 23-year-old for a reported inital five million euros ($5.7 million) with an option to buy for a further 35 million euros next summer.
Bakayoko leaves Chelsea after making 29 Premier League appearances for the Blues but failing to recapture the form that prompted the London club to pay Monaco a reported £40 million for his services last summer.
He was left out of the squad by new coach Maurizio Sarri for Chelsea’s opening fixture at Huddersfield Saturday as his replacement Jorginho scored in a comfortable 3-0 win.
Milan hope Bakayoko will help them reclaim its position at the top of the Italian game following years of strife on and off the pitch.
Last year it finished sixth in Serie A despite the around 200 million euros spent on new players by the disastrous Chinese consortium that bought the club from former Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi in April 2017.
That led to it falling foul of Uefa’s financial fair play regulations and being booted from this season’s Europa League.
However since hedge fund Elliot Management took control of Milan last month following missed payments from the previous owners, the seven-time European champion has been readmitted to continental competition and have looked to rebuild both the squad and morale.
It has signed proven Serie A goalscorer Gonzalo Higuain from Juventus in a complex deal that also saw them bag promising center-back Mattia Caldara while offloading the disappointing Leonardo Bonucci back to Juventus.
Meanwhile, Milan great Paolo Maldini has been brought in alongside new sporting director Leonardo.
Willian enjoying Chelsea’s
‘Samba style’ under Sarri
Chelsea winger Willian believes manager Maurizio Sarri’s attack-focused tactics emulates Brazil’s ‘samba style’ and helps the Premier League club’s players flourish.
The 30-year-old Brazil international assisted N’Golo Kante’s opening goal as Chelsea recorded a 3-0 win over Huddersfield Town in Sarri’s first league match in charge last Saturday.
“Is it fun to play this way? I think so. We have a lot of players with quality up front, like Eden Hazard and Pedro. Players like that want to play football,” Willian told ESPN.
“That’s why he (Sarri) talked about ‘fun’ football. This is what we will try to do this season. Is this like Brazil’s Samba style? Yes. This is what we do in Brazil and are trying to do here, playing with skill and movement.”
The winger is confident that Sarri’s tactics will help rectify Chelsea’s recent poor record against Arsenal, where it had just one win in eight matches under previous manager Antonio Conte, when they meet in Saturday’s league match.
“The manager tells us to play, to enjoy ourselves on the pitch, with responsibility. Now we have a different style, that’s why we can create problems for Arsenal,” Willian added.
“Of course, it will be a special game against Arsenal because it is a derby. It is always difficult against them.” — Agencies
