JOHANNESBURG Former World champions France and Nigeria face a heavy penalties from FIFA including possible bans from international soccer following apparent government interference in soccer management in the two countries in violation of the world soccer-controlling bodys regulations.
FIFA does not brook political interference in soccer and has warned Abuja and Paris that they risk having their national representative sides banned form international competition should they insist on punitive action against their national sides following embarrassing performances at the ongoing 2010 FIFA World cup in South Africa .
Both France, the 1998 World champions and Nigeria, the 1994 African champions, put up forgettable performances in the worlds most celebrated football competition, where they bowed out in the first round without winning a single match. France, whose qualification to the World Cup was heavily criticised following a double handball by striker Thiery Henry, which presented William Gallas a chance to score the solitary goal that qualified them ahead of the Republic of Ireland in the play-offs, failed to win a match in Group A.
They played to a drab 0-0 draw with Uruguay in their first game, lost the second one 2-0 to Mexico before a 2-1 loss to hosts South Africa condemned the les Blues to an early return home.This was the second time France have been humiliated in the World Cup since they were crowned champions as hosts in 1998. They were eliminated in the first round without scoring a single goal in 2002, where they lost their first game to African representatives Senegal, who went on to reach the quarterfinals in that edition of the World Cup.
Angry reaction
In an angry reaction, the French government, which relegated the players and members of the technical team to economy class travel on their return home, immediately instituted a probe into Les Bleus dismal failure. The probe has continued despite a FIFA warning against the governments meddling in soccer affairs. The government is alleged to be accusing retired coach, Raymond Domenech, of having refused to take any responsibility for his team’s misbehaviour and having offered no real explanation for their failure.
French Football Federation president, Jean-Pierre Escalettes, also seemingly on the way out of French football, also testified at the hearing held by the national assembly’s commission on culture and education. The hearing went ahead despite a warning from FIFA president Sepp Blatter that France’s national team risks suspension from global soccer if President Nicolas Sarkozy or political leaders interfere in the running of the federation.
The French government officials retorted this week that it was not Blatter’s place to tell them how to do their jobs, with lawmaker Eric Ciotti quoted in the media as having said, “It is not Fifa’s role to threaten French lawmakers, we’re in a democracy and parliamentarians have the right to hear anyone they want. This isn’t just about football, it’s about France ; it’s our honour that’s at stake.”
Two-year ban
In Africa, Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan decreed that the countrys national team be withdrawn from all international competition after the Super Eagles first round elimination at the 2010 World Cup, where they failed to win a single match and managed just a solitary draw against Korea Republic. Jonathans decision is based on the finding of a presidential taskforce set up to investigate the failures of the team.
The taskforces chairman, Rotimi Amechi, confirmed the move this week, but said it was yet to be officially conveyed to FIFA, adding that it was meant to ensure that the embarrassing outcome of the World Cup in South Africa wont repeat itself. We had all sorts of maladministration. We found out that the problem with Nigerian football is structural. The nation has been punished enough. People have had heart attacks because of Nigerian football, said Amechi.
However, Blatter warned that the world football controlling body would deal heavily with the two nations if they continued to defy FIFA regulations. Political interference will be dealt with by FIFA notwithstanding what kind of interference and what is the size of the country, Blatter told the media in Johannesburg last Wednesday, in reaction to the news from Nigeria . Nigeria went out with just one point after being held to a 2-2 draw by South Korea in their last game. They lost to Argentina 1-0 in their Group B opener and fell to Greece 2-1 in a game turned by the first-half expulsion of midfielder Sani Kaita.
African Nations Cup
The Nigerian Football Federations executive committee had earlier tendered an apology for the early exit. The Super Eagles havent won a World Cup match since their 1-0 win over Bulgaria in Seoul, France in 1998, going out with two losses and a draw in 2002 and failing to qualify in 2006. Their next scheduled international game is a qualifier for the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations, at home to Madagascar in September, but that might now not take place after the governments decree.
Nigeria, banned from the African Nations Cup for two years after refusing to travel to South Africa for the 1996 edition of the tournament, now risk being banned from all international football for years. But the Abuja administration defiantly sees a good thing in that, with Ima Niboro, a government spokesperson, saying that the ban would enable the country to reorganise its football administration.
Post published in: Zimbabwe Sports News