COVID-19: We are not excited about lifting ban on football, sporting activities - FG

Nigerian football fans, players and sports lovers will have to watch their passion on TV for now as the Federal Government revealed the lack of excitement about lifting the ban on sports in the country.

Recall that Nigeria's top-flight football, the Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL), and other sporting activities have been suspended since March due to the pandemic.

As the economy is gradually opening, Boss Mustapha, the chairman of the Presidential Task Force on Covid-19 and Secretary to the federal government has revealed that sports will definitely resume but the time is not right now.

“I’m not sure we are excited about opening sporting activities in our country, particularly soccer [football], which attracts large crowds,” Mustapha told the media on Friday.

“If our guidelines say large gatherings are banned and not to exceed 20 persons except places of work, I don’t see the excitement if we allow soccer to return to an empty stadium.

“A lot of European countries where these games have started are big businesses and they are doing it carefully and gradually.

“We are not excited about allowing sports to return, we will get there, but for now, we are concerned with the few activities allowed to reopen.

“We will continue to review the situation, know how we are faring, study the situation and know what next to do based on data, science and peculiarity of our environment.”