Minister Fowards Vogts’ Letter To NFA

By Ade Somefun - 01.03.2008

Obafemi THE Minister of Sports and Chairman, National Sports Commission (NSC), Abdulraman Hassan Gimba, has forwarded a letter from the solicitors of embattled Super Eagles’ head coach, Berti Vogts, to the board of the Nigeria Football Association (NFA) for prompt attention.

The letter, which was received at the Glass House, Abuja on Friday was initially addressed to the minister as a result of the differences between the NFA and Vogts, who still has a contract until year 2010 as head coach of the Super Eagles.

According to sources at the NFA secretariat, the letter was addressed to the minister by Vogts to intimate the Nigerian authorities about the current impasse between the NFA and Vogts as a result of the poor performance of the Eagles at the Nations Cup in Ghana.

The letter forwarded to the minister, the sources stated, was not categorical on Vogts’ resignation but noted the 30-day letter of intent to terminate the existing contract of Vogts, which was sent to him by the NFA.

The minister in his wisdom, and a lawyer by profession, however, referred the letter to the NFA, employers of Vogts, asking the leadership to study it carefully before acting on it.

“Vogts is a clever man, he only acknowledged NFA’s intent of terminating his contract within the 30-day stipulated in the contract. All he wants is for them (NFA) to reply the letter. Even if it is just one word, that will show there is correspondence between the two parties and this is what he needs at the FIFA arbitration panel,” sources at the ministry stated.

But another source at the NFA secretariat stated that the letter would be handled by legal experts of the association adding that the NFA was fully in control of the situation.

“Mr. Vogts would be communicated at the right time. His letter is explicit and would be handled accordingly.”

Efforts to get the chairman of the NFA, Sani Lulu, or any of the board members to comment on the development proved abortive.

Only on Friday, the NFA named an Assistant Secretary, Technical, James Peters, as interim coach of the senior national team to oversee the team that is expected to begin preparation for the 2010 World Cup qualifier against South Africa later in the year.