Will NFF, Sharks, Enyimba bickering help Nigeria football?

Going by CAF statutes, the champions of a country’s FA Cup is the first representative in the CAF Confederation cup while the third placed team in the national league clinches the second slot. The situation has remained the same over the years in Nigeria, until this year when the football family has been polarized over […]

Going by CAF statutes, the champions of a country’s FA Cup is the first representative in the CAF Confederation cup while the third placed team in the national league clinches the second slot.

The situation has remained the same over the years in Nigeria, until this year when the football family has been polarized over who is the country’s second representative in the 2009/2010 CAF Confederation Cup.

This is so because Enyimba Football Club who are supposed to be Nigeria’s representatives in the CAF Confederation Cup by virtue of their third placing in the league, also won the FA Cup to leave the Nigeria Football Federation with the choice to allot the second slot.

Two days after the FA Cup final on July 12, the Federation announced Warri Wolves who were fourth on the league table as the country’s second representatives in the completion, a decision which elicited protests from Sharks who claimed they were the club to be allocated the slot, having lost in the final of the FA Cup to Enyimba.

It is therefore an open secret that series of reactions have continued to trail NFF’s decision to hand the ticket to Warri Wolves. A fierce battle has ensued between NFF and Sharks of Port-Harcourt and nobody is prepared to shift ground.

Bolaji Ojo-Oba

NFF General Secretary, Dr. Bolaji Ojo-Oba said in Abuja that there is no cause for hair-splitting over the matter, and that Wolves will carry the country’s banner in the competition next year.   

“We have noted with some concern the debate on this issue, but we need to state clearly that Enyimba FC are the champions of the 2009 Federation Cup competition, which is greater than finishing third in the Premier League. The Premier League and Federation Cup are two very important competitions.   

“Enyimba will represent Nigeria in the CAF Confederation Cup as the champions of the Federation Cup, while the next team to it on the Premier League table will take the slot for the Premier League. Let us not forget that already, the two top –placed teams in the Premier League will go for the CAF Champions League competition.   

“Therefore, it makes sense that the Federation Cup winners go into Africa as the first choice team for the Confederation Cup, while the 4th placed team in the League, Warri Wolves take the second slot”, said Ojo-Oba.   

Ojo-Oba explained that the regulations governing the CAF Confederation Cup were quite clear on the matter, even though there is no clear rule stating what should be done in case of such a scenario.

“It is true that the regulations might not have expressly foreseen this kind of situation. But Article 1 of the regulations for CAF Confederation Cup addressed the issue of which team is first pick for the competition”.

The Article 1 states: “The African Football Confederation shall organize a yearly competition called ‘The Confederation Cup’, open to teams of Cup Winners Clubs of the Affiliated Associations. The 12 countries obtaining the best results in the clubs competitions during the previous five years will be allowed to register the Cup Winner’s Club and the club classified third in the National League. If the Cup Winner’s Club is not engaged, the concerned country will be authorized to register only one club.

“It is very clear then that the first choice for the CAF Confederation Cup is the Cup Winner, in this case Enyimba, while the second choice is the team placed third in the League, in this case also Enyimba, but their place being taken by Warri Wolves because they have already bagged a slot by virtue of winning the Federation Cup”, explained Ojo-Oba.

Chris Green

But Sharks have claimed that the NFF has set a ‘dangerous precedent’ and reiterated their determination to fight all the way to the Court of Arbitration for Sport if the NFF insist on giving the CAF Confederation Cup ticket to Warri Wolves.

Rivers State FA Chairman Chris Green said in Lagos that the NFF acted erroneously in awarding the ticket to Wolves.

“The NFF erred in law in giving the ticket to Warri Wolves. The relevant part of the regulations they quoted were misconstrued, misapplied and misrepresented”, said Green, a former member of the NFF Board under Ibrahim Galadima.

“They read Article 1 independent of the others, especially Article 2(7) and Article 2(9) both of which are germane to this situation.

“A dangerous precedence will be set if this decision is allowed to stand and we will continue to fight this all the way, even as far as the Court of Arbitration for Sport.”

Green pointed out that Sharks are exploring all avenues for redress and deplored the NFF’s delay tactics.

“We have sent out our protest letters and they have not summoned us to come in and defend our position”.

 Cyril Wite

Sharks Secretary Cyril Wite pointed out that there was precedence for Sharks position.

“In 1975 Rangers won the double and Shooting Stars, who came second in the Cup, played in the Cup Winners Cup. In 1996, BCC Lions were double champions and again, Shooting Stars, who came second, represented Nigeria in the CAF Cup.

“More recently, in 2004 Dolphins won the double, Enyimba came second in the league and Rangers were third. Insurance, who finished third in the FA Cup, took the CAF Cup ticket.”

He warned that the NFF’s action could cost Nigeria a slot in the competition, saying: “If the NFF insist on what they are doing, it means Nigeria will lose one of the tickets to the Confederation Cup”, Wite stated.

Tonnex Chukwu

To add to the pressure, Cup winners, Enyimba wrote to the Federation asking to be entered into next season’s CAF Confederations Cup as League third place finishers.

Enyimba FC Spokesman, Tonnex Chukwu said the decision by Enyimba was taken during a board meeting in Aba.

The big question

The question is what effects will the continued wrangling have on Nigerian football? The issue is that if the three parties fail to come to settle their differences over who is the country’s second representative at the annual competition, it is the country that will lose, as Nigeria will only be left with Enyimba as its sole representative at the competition, thereby minimizing the country’s chances of winning the competition.

Way forward

But as the Nigeria Football Federation is not in a hurry to listen to the demands of Sharks and Enyimba by rescinding its earlier decision to forward the name of Wolves as Nigeria’s second representative to the CAF Confederation Cup next year, there is need for the teams to accept that the NFF has the mandate to forward to CAF the names of its representatives at the continental competition, though through legal means.

In order to avoid future occurrences and a repeat of the situation, the Nigeria Football Federation should make statutory provision in its books over who represents the country in case of such imbroglio to forestall future debates and unnecessary bickering.