FIFA has a policy against discrimination of any kind.
The world football governing body has queried Nigeria over the attempt to ban Lesbians from the Nigeria Women Professional League, NWPL.
The football governing body, FIFA, has written to the Nigeria Football Federation, NFF, requesting clarification over statements by the Chairperson of Nigeria Women Professional League, Dilichukwu Onyedinma, about a planned ban of lesbians from the league.
The ban proposed by the NWPL would contravene FIFA’s anti-discrimination policies; and the world governing body has sent a letter to the Nigerian FA asking for clarification.
“Any player that we find associated with it [lesbianism] will be disqualified,” Ms. Onyedinma exclusively told PREMIUM TIMES in an interview.
“We will call the club chairmen to control their players and such players will not be able to play for the national team.
“There are particular clubs that don’t even want to hear about it and once they hear it the players involved will be sacked,” she said.
Some gay rights campaigners, including the Federation of Gay Games, the European Gay and Lesbian Sport Federation (www.eglsf.info), Football v Homophobia, and AllOut (www.allout.org) also said they had written to FIFA President, Sepp Blatter, about the alleged ban.
“The organisations sending this letter believe that FIFA must now take firm action,” said the campaigners in a statement.
It will be recalled that former Super Falcons Coach, Echuria Uche, made similar remarks in the last 2011 Women’s World Cup in Germany and was promptly reprimanded.
The Nigerian Football Federation is yet to officially react to the FIFA query. The NFF spokesperson, Demola Olajire, said the federation would release a statement soon on it.
Homosexuality and other same sex acts are not legal in Nigeria. Nigerian lawmakers are also working on a law that would criminalise it despite condemnation of the proposed law from Western governments and agencies.
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