AFCON 2017: NFF plans legal action against CAF, may take them to CAS

The Nigerian Football Federation is considering taking the Confederation of African Football, Africa's football governing body, to the Court of Arbitration for Sports after the ouster of the Super Eagles from AFCON 2017 after losing 1-0 to Egypt in Alexandria on Tuesday, making it their second successive Afcon miss in two years.

The early exit was facilitated by the sudden withdrawal of Chad from the qualification campaign, leaving Group G with just one qualification spot and no option of best losers, and the NFF feels CAF had the power to stop CHAD from withdrawing or at best provide the qualification group with another country.

As a result, the under-fire NFF executive committee led by President Amaju Pinnick is considering measures to seek redress by dragging Caf to the Court of Arbitration for Sports (CAS).

“It is rather unfortunate that Chad, one of the teams in the qualification group, suddenly pulled out of the race, leaving only three teams left in the group, and only the winner of the the group guaranteed qualification. This appeared to have taken away our worst–case scenario of qualification. However, our legal unit is looking at the propriety of changing the rules midstream’’, NFF Assistant Director of Communications Demola Olajire told newsmen.

CAS is an independent institution, based in Lausanne, Switzerland involved in resolving legal disputes in the field of sport.