By Taofeek Lawal
The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has taken the step to forge a closer relationship and meaningful ties with the Chinese Football Association following a meeting between the NFF leadership and the Chinese Ambassador to Nigeria, His Excellency Yu Dunhai, in Abuja on Thursday.
NFF President, Ibrahim Musa Gusau, while speaking, reiterated that football is an immensely powerful tool to solidify relationships among nations and entities, as he assured the top diplomat that the NFF is eager for closer ties with Chinese football, especially in the women’s category, where China is a global force.
Gusau said, “We have received an offer from certain persons who are close to the Chinese FA, and who want our U17 girls to participate in a mini-tournament in China in July. We believe that this will be the beginning of a great working relationship with Chinese football.
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“We are looking at more regular games among our teams. Certainly, matches can be organised both in China and Nigeria for both nations to participate, and at all times, the NFF will always intimate the Chinese Embassy and seek its guidance and advice.”
Yu Dunhai, who is in the second year of his tenure in Nigeria, praised Gusau for his great interest in Chinese football and said there is a lot of collaboration and exchange programmes taking place between both nations in other sectors presently.
“As you said, football is a very strong instrument for forging unity because it belongs to the youth, and the youth represent the future. Presently, there are many Nigerian players and coaches in the Chinese League, and I am always thrilled to realise that Nigeria and China share the same Independence Day, October 1.
“Actually, my first knowledge of Nigeria came through football when your boys won the Olympic football gold in Atlanta in 1996. Twelve years later, they won the silver medal right in China.
“Your U17 boys are also very strong and have the greatest collection of titles in the FIFA World Cup. Incidentally, their first title was in China in 1985.
“Football needs no language. Although our men’s team is not that strong, we are better in the women’s game, and our people do enjoy watching the game,” the envoy stated.
Present at the occasion as well were the NFF General Secretary, Dr Mohammed Sanusi; NFF’s Director of Media and Communications, Dr Ademola Olajire; Chinese Embassy’s First Secretary, Ni Zhichen and NFF’s Director of Protocol, Barnabas Joro.
