Former Secretary General of the defunct Nigeria Football Association, Hon. Sani Ahmed Toro has applauded the criteria listed by the Executive Committee of Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), as conditions for Nigerian candidates, who plan to contest for FIFA presidency.
Toro insisted that the conditions which were arrived at during a meeting in Port Harcourt on September 7, were very much in order.
“I want to commend the NFF for the conditions the body has rolled out. They have done very well. Just as they said, we cannot allow people to go out to the international sphere to ridicule Nigeria,” he said.
“Look, vying for the Presidency of FIFA is a very serious business with strong political waters to navigate. It is not a picnic. How many votes does Africa as a whole have? Fifty–four, out of the 209 votes. And which of the Nigerian aspirants will be hoping to get block African vote? Let us stop deceiving ourselves.
“There is the tendency for some of those voicing their support for either of the Nigerian aspirants to accuse some of us of lack of patriotism. They are no more patriotic than those of us telling the truth. I do not want our dear country to be ridiculed. Those who say they are aspiring for that office have their own motives.
“I believe the Presidency is watching and will not allow other nations to laugh at Nigeria. None of those grandstanding now have any chance of success in the FIFA Presidential election. They cannot even cross the eligibility line.”
Toro, however, called on NFF president, Amaju Pinnick, to continue to educate Nigerians on the issue and not relent on its standards.
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