Giwa & Co’s Appeal Against Fifa “Lacks Object”, Says Cas

• Cas says Chris Giwa/his controversial NFF board request “is without object” at the moment
• Nigeria yet not suspended by Fifa
• Super Eagles face South Africa in Cape Town tonight
• NFF to abide by Fifa recommendations

The Court of Arbitration for Sport (Cas) has rejected a “request for provisional measures” filed by Chris Giwa and his controversial board members to stop Fifa from suspending Nigeria, on the ground that normality has returned at the secretariat of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF).

Cas noted that “two conditions” mentioned by the Emergency Committee of the world football governing body dated September 3, 2014, had been complied with and that the NFF had not been suspended as at Monday, September 8- deadline date for an automatic ban.

Cas statement read: ” In light of the foregoing, the Appellants’ request for provisional measures was rejected by CAS since it was without object at this stage.”

Cas confirmed that some “collective appellants” filed an urgent request/appeal against Fifa’s warning that the NFF will be banned in five days’ time if Giwa and his board claiming to have been elected on August 26 refuse to vacate the NFF secretariat and if the general secretary is unable to perform his work without interference.

“On 5 September 2014 Yahaya Adama, Obinna Ogba, Musa Talle, Effiong Johnson, Chidi Ofor Okenwa, Busari Ishola, Mohhammed Saidu and Tijani Jubril (collectively, the Appellants) filed an appeal at the Court of Arbitration for Sport against the FIFA Emergency Committee’s decision of 3 September 2014,” it recalled.

Meanwhile Fifa secretary general Jerome Valcke, in a letter dated 9th September 2014, addressed to the President of the Nigeria Football Federation, Aminu Maigari, noted that “the conditions set in its aforementioned correspondence of September 3, 2014, have been complied with and that the NFF is accordingly not suspended.”

The Fifa decision also implies that the Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) qualifier against South Africa scheduled for Wednesday, September 10 in Cape Town, will go on as planned.

While the Cas rejection of the appellants’ appeal dated September 5 confirms that the NFF could yet carry on with Fifa’s earlier recommendations including the need for an urgent extraordinary general assembly to define and adopt the roadmap for NFF elections as soon as possible.