JamzNG Latest News, Gist, Entertainment in Nigeria
A leading voice of the Nigerian football fans movement, Ogunfuwa, has appealed for peace, unity and reconciliation among stakeholders following the resignation of the President of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), Alhaji Ibrahim Musa Gusau, from his position.
Ogunfuwa, while reacting to the development, said the current situation should not allow divisions within supporters clubs to deepen further, stressing that the moment presents an opportunity for stakeholders to come together and initiate an all-encompassing restructuring of the supporters club system in the restructuring of Nigerian football as recognized by FIFA.
According to her, fans remain an integral part of Nigerian football and deserve a properly organised, united and professionally managed structure that can significantly contribute to the growth and development of the game.
The award-winning matriarch called on various supporters’ clubs, their leaders, football administrators and other stakeholders to put aside personal differences and embrace dialogue, saying the future of the supporters’ movement must be built on unity, transparency, fairness and mutual respect.
Mama Nigeria, as Ogunfuwa is fondly called, noted that fans have historically played a crucial role in motivating Nigeria’s national teams, particularly during major international competitions, but expressed concern that internal disagreements and fragmentation have at times prevented the movement from reaching its full potential.
He therefore supported a restructuring process that can accommodate all authentic and recognized supporters’ clubs, while establishing clear standards for membership, leadership, representation, accreditation and participation in national team activities.
The five statutory bodies recognized by FIFA as evidenced by global best practices are: players’ unions, supporters’ clubs, coaches’ association, referees’ association and sports writers’ association with annual support offered to them through their federated members by the world governing body.
The national president of the Football Fans Club of Nigeria said the restructuring should also introduce mechanisms to ensure that supporters clubs are adequately represented in decision-making processes affecting their activities. Ambassador Kemi Ogunfuwa said: “This is a time of peace, unity and reconciliation. We must stop looking at our differences and start looking at what unites us as supporters of Nigerian football.
“We Supporters Clubs need an all-encompassing restructuring that unites everyone and gives the movement a new direction. We need a system where every true fan has a sense of belonging and where leadership is based on competence, integrity and inclusiveness.”
The Lagos-based business tycoon further stressed that the fan movement should go beyond simply attending matches and cheering national teams, arguing that fans could become important partners in football development, grassroots mobilisation, fan engagement and promotion of Nigerian football in line with global best practices.
The former Lagos State Women’s Football Committee member also called for greater collaboration between the NSC, NFF, supporters clubs and other football stakeholders, stressing that a properly structured supporters’ movement could help improve the atmosphere around national teams’ matches and strengthen the bond between teams and their fans.
According to her, the goal of the proposed restructuring should not be to victimize or eliminate anyone, but rather to build a stronger, more united and credible movement of supporters that can stand the test of time.
He urged whoever comes on board to embrace constructive dialogue, insisting that the interest of Nigerian football must remain paramount.
Ogunfuwa argued that Gusau’s resignation, regardless of the circumstances surrounding it, should not become another source of division between fans and football stakeholders, rather it should serve as a wake-up call for stakeholders to rethink and rebuild the fans’ movement
He concluded by urging fans across the country to remain peaceful, patriotic and committed to their national teams, saying:
“The time has come to change the face of fan clubs. Let us unite, restructure and build a fan movement that Nigeria will be proud of.”
