Nigeria team banned by president

ABUJA, NIGERIA: Nigeria President Goodluck Jonathan banned the country’s football team from international competition for two years following their dismal showing at the World Cup, his office said.

“President Goodluck Jonathan has directed that Nigeria withdraws from international competition for two years to enable the country to put its house in order,” said spokesman Ima Niboro.

Nigeria finished at the bottom of their group in South Africa with just one point from three matches. They lost to Argentina and Greece and drew with South Korea.

Rotimi Amaechi, governor of a key oil-producing state, Rivers, who heads a special presidential task force on the World Cup campaign, said Nigeria would write to football’s world governing body Fifa to explain its decision.

“We went to the World Cup and found all sorts of problems and we felt we should sit back and look inward,” said Amaechi.

Jonathan also ordered an audit into how the funds allocated for the team at the World Cup were used.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 1st, 2010.