Fifa president and secretary lead high powered delegation to Nigeria for two-day visit

FIFA president Gianni Infantino and its secretary-general Fatma Samoura arrived Abuja yesterday on a two day visit as part of a developmental programme aimed at improving the status of the game in the country.

 

Accompanied by executive assistants Mattias Grafstrom and Veron Mosengo-Omba the two senior executives were received on arrival at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport by Nigerian Football Federation (NFF) president Amaju Pinnick and general secretary Mohammed Sanusi. Also on the welcoming team were vice presidents Seyi Akinwunmi and Shehu Dikko and other members of the NFF executive committee and management.

 

At the airport, a 10-year old girl handed the 46-year old multi-lingual Mr Infantino a bouquet of flowers as the train emerged from the arrival hall. Also, a cultural troupe entertained in the foreground as Mr Infantino and Ms Samoura walked on the red carpet to waiting cars.

At the Transcorp Hilton Hotel in Abuja, Mr Pinnick accompanied Mr Infantino to the presidential suite and meetings between the Fifa president and the NFF board and with the visiting football associations presidents from other African countries, as well as a cocktail dinner later yesterday night. A total of 17 football association presidents from other African countries arrived in Nigeria on Saturday to join the NFF in receiving Mr Infantino. 

They include Kwesi Nyantakyi (Ghana), Lamin Kaba Bajo (The Gambia), Isha Johansen (Sierra Leone), Musa Bility (Liberia), Juneidi Basha Tilmo (Ethiopia), Nicholas Kithuku (Kenya), Andrew Chamanga (Zambia), Philip Chiyangwa (Zimbabwe), Frans Mbidi (Namibia), Chabur Goc Alei (South Sudan), Walter Nyamilandu (Malawi), Abdiqani Said Arab (Somalia), Vincent Nzamwita (Rwanda), Moses Magogo (Uganda), Jamal Malinzi (Tanzania), Augustin Senghor (Senegal) and Souleman Waberi (Djibouti). 

Later today, Mr Infantino and Ms Samoura, alongside sports minister Solomon Dalung, Mr Pinnick, along with the chairmen of the Senate and House sports committees and the visiting FA presidents from other African countries will today pay a courtesy call on President Muhammadu Buhari at the Aso Rock presidential villa. Also on the programme for today is a U-13 exhibition football match at the National Stadium, a visit to the new NFF headquarters and a business dinner with Nigeria’s political heavyweights and captains of industry.