The Nigeria
Football Federation (NFF) has suspended football activities in the country for
four weeks due to the outbreak of the coronavirus disease.
Nigeria on Wednesday recorded five new cases of the
disease which has been described as a pandemic by the World Health Organisation
(WHO).
In a statement by the NFF, the President of the
football body, Amaju Pinnick, noted that the move affects all leagues in the
country, the national teams as well as youth football programs and street
football... including going to watch football in viewing centers.
According to Pinnick, the suspension will be
reviewed after four weeks in line with global best practices.
The NFF boss, called on all stakeholders in the
country’s football sector to take heed of safety precautions such as
hand-washing, the use of sanitizers and social distancing as advised by the
Federal Ministry of Health and the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control.
He added that the only football activity that will
continue to go on is the work of the NFF investigation committee into the death
of Nasarawa United star, Chineme
Martins.
A committee, to look into the death of the player
who slumped and passed away in a Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL)
match earlier in the month, was inaugurated in Benin City, the Edo State
capital. The committee will submit its report within the next 10 days.
