Nigeria Drops National Team Ban

Nigeria’s national soccer team had the worst showing in their World Cup group after failing to win any of their three games in South Africa. And it only got worse from there: The government, led by President Goodluck Jonathan, threatened last week to ban the team from all future competition, just ahead of a FIFA deadline. FIFA officials, who threatened to suspend or expel the Nigerian Football Federation due to government interference, however, changed all that. It was announced today that the government has shifted their decision and will allow the team to compete. A statement on the NFF’s website said that the president “graciously rescinded last Wednesday’s decision to withdraw Nigerian national football teams from FIFA/CAF competitions.”