20100630
africanews

The president of west African nation Nigeria Dr Goodluck Jonathan has withdrawn the Super Eagles from international competition until 2012 following their disappointing performance at World Cup 2010 in South Africa. According to a government adviser the withdrawal is to help restructure the team.

Speaking to reporters, Ima Niboro - a special adviser to the president - confirmed the two-year withdrawal which would allow a restructuring of the national set-up.

He said: "Mr President has directed that Nigeria will withdraw from all international football competition for the next two years to enable Nigeria to reorganize its football.

"This directive became necessary following Nigeria's poor performance in the ongoing FIFA World Cup."

The ban will prevent Nigeria from partaking in qualification for the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations, which will be co-hosted by Gabon and Equatorial Guinea.

Rotimi Amaechi, governor of a key oil-producing state, Rivers, who heads a special presidential task force on the World Cup campaign, said Nigeria would write to football's world governing body FIFA to explain its decision.

"We went to the World Cup and found all sorts of problems and we felt we should sit back and look inward," said Amaechi.

Jonathan also ordered an audit into how the funds allocated for the team at the World Cup were used.