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Former
captain and handler of the Nigerian national team, Christian Chukwu,
hopes that Nigeria’s suspension by football’s world governing body,
FIFA will be lifted as soon as possible.

The Super Eagles
are billed to take on their Guinean counterparts on Sunday in a 2012
Africa Cup of Nations qualifier in Conakry but the game remains
doubtful after FIFA, on Monday, suspended Nigeria from international
football because of government interference.

If the suspension
is not lifted before Sunday’s match day, and if the game is not
postponed by the sport’s governing body, then it means the Super Eagles
will need to play catch-up with the Guineans in the race for Group B’s
sole automatic ticket to the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations to be co-hosted
by Equatorial Guinea and Gabon.

As things currently
stand in Group B, the Super Eagles lie in second place behind the
Guineans on goals difference after they only managed to secure a 2-0
win over Madagascar in their opening match, on a weekend that saw the
Guineans walloping the group’s other team Ethiopia 4-1 in Addis Ababa.

Quick solution

No wonder Chukwu is calling for a quick resolution of the ‘crisis’.

“It really is
unfortunate the crisis we have placed ourselves in with our own hands,”
Chukwu told NEXT. “Some of us had expressed our reservations over the
way the authorities handled the election matter but some people were at
the same time saying that FIFA didn’t have the right to interfere in
the matter.

“But now it is
clear that FIFA have every right to delve into the matter. All we can
hope for, is the whole matter to be resolved as soon as possible before
the match against Guinea.

“No one has said
that the match has been postponed so if the match officials go there
(to Conakry) and we are not present on Sunday then it means a walk over
will take place,” said Chukwu, before adding: “It’s as simple as that.”
Chukwu, who captained Nigeria to Nations Cup glory in 1980 and who
served as one of Clemens Westerhof’s assistants in the victorious
Tunisia ‘94 side before coaching the Super Eagles to a third-place
finish at the 2004 tournament, also in Tunisia, also called on the
authorities to recognise the legitimacy of the last NFF elections.

This is irrespective of the fact that he was one of those who lost out in their quest to get into the NFF’s board.

“I know I lost in
the elections but I’m not happy with the suspension,” he said. “FIFA
has pointed it clear that they will not tolerate any form of
interference from government so the only way to resolve this issue is
to bring back those who in the opinion of FIFA should be in the NFF.”

Yobo weighs in
Chukwu isn’t alone in calling for a quick resolution to the crisis as
the current captain of the Super Eagles Joseph Yobo has also made a
passionate plea to the country’s sports authorities to ensure that the
ban is swiftly reversed.

“This is absolutely devastating for the fans, players and the entire country.” Said Yobo in a report on the BBC website.

“The players are in
shock just like the millions of passionate football fans here and we
can only hope they resolve this crisis for the progress of the country.

“Importantly football is a powerful force in the country; it unites
the country so we shouldn’t let it separate us as a strong nation.”