Facebook sparks Nigeria U-turn
NIGERIA’S president has admitted that he felt compelled to scrap his two-year ban on the national team after receiving hundreds of pleas on Facebook.
World governing body Fifa threatened to blacklist the Super Eagles if the ban was not
dropped, as their rules forbid government interference in teams.
But Goodluck Jonathan said it was the huge number of messages on his Facebook page
that prompted his change of heart.
“To the hundreds of Nigerians who appealed to me on this page, I have listened to your voices and those of others,” he wrote.
“We must now work together to make sure that the Nigerian Football Federation and our players do us proud in future events.”
Meanwhile, Facebook have denied reports they are in talks with the Football Association over a sponsorship deal. A spokesman for the social networking site said: “Facebook is not in talks with the England football team regarding sponsorship. I don’t know where it has come from but it is not true. It’s bizarre.”