FIFA lifts ban on Nigeria

Johannesburg: FIFA, on Friday, lifted the suspension of Nigeria from international competition over government interference in football.

The football governing body had imposed the suspension of the Nigerian Football Federation (NFF) on July 9 just after their national team lost in the last 16 at the World Cup. FIFA said in a statement that it has noted that the court proceedings and order preventing the president of the NFF, the NFF executive committee members and the NFF Congress from running the affairs of Nigerian football that prompted the suspension have been withdrawn. The statement further said that as statutory order has been reinstated at the NFF and the legitimate bodies reinstalled, FIFA has decided to lift the suspension as of Friday 18 July 2014. The new order means that Nigeria can again take part in international competitions. FIFA`s suspension came after a Nigerian court sacked the NFF leadership and appointed a sole administrator for the federation.