NIGERIA Football Federation (NFF) General Secretary, Musa Amadu has denied a story in a local website quoting the sports minister, Bolaji Abdullahi as issuing the NFF an ultimatum of winning the 2013 Africa Nations Cup holding in South Africa.
The much publicised report generated heated debate in football circles and the NFF scribe has come out to deny the story which means that the minister was either quoted out of context or he did not say anything like that.
Amadu, who did not speak much on the matter, however, told SportingLife that, “The minister didn’t say what was published on the football website (that the Super Eagles must win the 2013 Africa Nations Cup).”
“So, I don’t know where the journalist got the information from anyway”, Amadu disclosed in Abuja yesterday.
Eagles’ Chief Coach, Stephen Keshi had informed SportingLife on Sunday that he did not believe the minister made the statement and also warned that such comments could put pressure on the team and serve as distraction in their campaign of booking the 2013 ANC ticket.
“My only fears are that if such pronouncements are not handled maturely and reasonably they may bring unnecessary pressure and confusion to the team. We have almost achieved what we have set out for ourselves and this declaration from the minister may set us back and backfire.
“So, we need encouragement for us to concentrate on this campaign of being at the Nations Cup”, Keshi said.



The Nation

http://www.thenationonlineng.net/2011/football-golf-boxing/58439-nff-denies-keshi-sack-order.html