The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) President Amaju Pinnick has said that restriction on fans and supporters to watch their favourite clubs play would be lifted during the Aiteo Cup finals which begins next month.
Speaking with Sports Writers Association of Nigeria (SWAN), Osun State Chapter on Thursday, May 27 in Osogbo during an inspection visit to the Ultra Modern Sports Complex and Academy established by a Philanthropist, Engineer Olanrewaju Adeleke, the Nigeria Football Boss assured that the football governing body will decide on it in their next meeting.
“That (lifting of restriction on football fans) will be very very soon. The decision will be made during our next meeting (in Abuja).
“During our Aiteo Cup finals which is set to begin in three or four weeks, we shall look at allowing fifty per cent of fans (to watch those matches).
“However, we will liaise with the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) and the Ministry of Youth and Sports Development (to be given a green light on easing the restrictions placed on football fans,” assured the FIFA Executive Council member.
It would be recalled that the Presidential Task Force (PTF) on Covid-19 placed restriction on sporting activities in March 2020 due to the outbreak of coronavirus which ravaged the world.
However, in October last year, the ban on contact sports like Football, Basketball, Handball was lifted by the Federal Government following an announcement by the National Coordinator of the Presidential Task Force on COVID 19, Sam Aliyu.
This news was accepted amidst applause by various authorities of contact sports and their fans who were however not comfortable with the continuous restriction on mass gathering at the match venues to watch their favourite clubs play.
Pinnick’s assurance today would be a soothing relief to sport lovers in Nigeria who have been anxious about this, following the ease of restrictions on fans and supporters into the stadiums in many countries across the world.
