The
Nigeria Football Federation has reinstated Salisu Yusuf to the national team
after serving a one-year ban for receiving bribe.
The NFF made this known in a
press statement by its spokesperson, Ademola Olajire, on Thursday.
Salisu was in August 2018 caught on camera accepting cash from men who posed as
football agents to select two players for his Morocco 2018 African
Nations Championship squad.
He was ordered to pay a fine
of $5,000 by the federation after the NFF Ethics and Fair Play Committee ruled
that the coach received $1,000 from the men.
Though the NFF didn’t state
that Salisu would take over as the Eagles coach, the federation bade coach,
Imama Amapakabo farewell.
Imama was Salisu’s assistant
in the U-23 national team and the CHAN team before the ban.
In the absence of Salisu,
Imama led the U-23 Eagles to qualify for the 2019 U-23 Africa Cup of Nations
after defeating Sudan 5-0 in Asaba on Tuesday.
With Salisu’s return, Imama is
expected to return to his position as an assistant coach of the U-23 team.
Announcing Salisu’s return on
Thursday, NFF said, “The federation has noted that the Chief Coach of the Super
Eagles, Salisu Yusuf, has now fully served the one-year suspension clamped on
him last year.
“The federation thanked coach,
Imama Amapakabo for his sterling efforts while in charge of the U-23 National
Team in the absence of the suspended Yusuf, and for eventually seeing to the
team’s qualification for the U-23 AFCON.”
