Former Chairman of the Technical Committee of the Nigeria Football Federation, Chris Green, has suggested that the continued silence from FIFA could mean there may be no ruling on Nigeria’s petition against Democratic Republic of the Congo ahead of the upcoming playoffs.
Green expressed disappointment over the situation, noting that the delay has created uncertainty around Nigeria’s hopes of securing a place at the global tournament through administrative processes rather than qualification on the pitch.
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“The silence from FIFA may be a sign that there might not be any verdict,” Green said.
The former NFF official admitted that the development is unfortunate, especially considering Nigeria’s failure to secure qualification through sporting merit during the qualifying campaign.
“It is sad that we are even in this situation,” he added.
Green explained that the focus should now shift towards learning from the mistakes that led to the team missing out on qualification during the regular qualifying process.
“Nigeria missed its chance to qualify on the field of play,” he noted.
According to him, both administrative and technical shortcomings contributed to the country’s inability to secure a World Cup ticket through the normal qualification route.
“There were administrative and technical issues that led to this missed opportunity,” he explained.
Green stressed that Nigerian football authorities must carefully review the events surrounding the qualification campaign to avoid repeating similar mistakes in the future.
“The most important thing now is to correct those mistakes going forward,” he said.
He concluded by urging stakeholders in Nigerian football to focus on long-term planning and improvement rather than relying on external outcomes.
“We must concentrate on building a stronger system for the future,” Green stated.
