The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has said the postponement of the African Nations Championship (CHAN) by the Confederation of African Football (CAF) has affected its plan.
The African football body moved the championship scheduled to be hosted by Uganda, Kenya and Tanzania to August from its initial date of 1st to 28th February 2025.
Speaking exclusively with Sporting Tribune in Abuja, NFF Secretary General, Dr Mohammed Sanusi, said though the postponement altered the plan of the NFF as the players were already in camp preparing for the competition, he stated that the nation’s football body is happy that the Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) is on. He added that the players cannot continue to be in camp as they have to return to their clubs.
“Even though the players are home-based you know we don’t have control over them (the Super Eagles B team players). The only thing we know is that the postponement has altered our plan because we have already put them in camp. The other aspect of course is the fact that they are playing in the League.
“So you don’t expect a player that is playing League to be out of shape. If you are out of shape then you won’t play in the League and that is the major consolation that we have, the League is on. There is no room for redundancy,” the NFF scribe stared.
Speaking on the performance of Nigerian clubs in CAF competitions, Dr Sanusi said the clubs need adequate funding to get quality players while adding that NFF will continue to give technical support to the country’s representatives in CAF competitions.
He said that NFF has limited control over the clubs as they are owned by state governments who most often make critical decisions about their teams as major financiers.
“You know that we don’t own these teams that qualify to represent Nigeria. Our own is to provide technical support and advice to the teams. But unfortunately, most of the time, we encounter problems in trying to align our vision and focus because the teams are owned by various state governments.
“And you know managing a team takes a lot. It entails being focused, bringing the right people to run it and also involving adequate funding at the right time. It is with adequate funding that you get quality players that will represent you, a lot of factors I mean. We will continue to talk to them (club sides), and we’ll continue to advise them.
“We want to see the commitment on the part of the owners of the teams, one can see players, see that there are committed players. These are the same players who have gotten clubs outside the country. We will continue to talk with them and see how we can move forward, ” Sanusi added.
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