NFF Warns Clubs Against Recalling Players

The Nigeria Football Federation has warned clubs involved in the 2011 Federation Club not to recall their players from the National Beach Soccer camp presently holding in Badagry, Lagos.

Its Deputy General Secretary on Technical, Emmanuel Ikpeme, said it has come to the notice of the NFF that some clubs are determined to recall their players from the camp ostensibly for these players to shore up the teams’ strength in the group stage of the Federation Cup, billed for four centres across the country from tomorrow till next Tuesday.

“The Nigeria Football Federation does not take kindly to this move by the clubs. We usually take to heart the interests of the clubs, which is why we always prevail on our Coaches not to invite more than three players from any one club at any particular time.

“For the present situation, no club can complain. Enugu Rangers FC (with James Okwuosa and Musa Najere) and Kwara United FC (with Ogbonnaya Okemmiri and Isiaka Olawale), are the only clubs that are still active in the Federation Cup and also have up to two players in the National Beach Soccer camp. We don’t think that is an over-kill.

“This is a stern warning to all clubs to desist from threatening their players in the National Beach Soccer camp to return to base or face sanctions. This is not acceptable. At all times, national assignments take precedence over club assignments. Yet, we still do everything in a conscious manner to protect the interests of our clubs.

“It is important to state here that should any player in the present National Beach Soccer camp leave the camp to feature in the Federation Cup, such club would be deemed to have lost the particular match and forfeit three points as well”, said Ikpeme.

The National Beach Soccer team is presently camping in Badagry ahead of the FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup billed for September 1-11 in Ravenna, Italy.

From Badagry, the team will move to Faro, Portugal on August 15 for a two-week, final residential camping programme before flying to Italy.