The Nigeria Football Federation are yet to make their constitutional stance known over a N10m fine dispute between the Lagos State Football Association and the General Manager of Kwara United, Bashir Badawiy, after last Saturday’s President Federation Cup final in Lagos.
Kwara United’s general manager, Badawiy was said to have been fined N10m by the Lagos State FA and ordered to issue an apology to the body and the NFF, over what they call a breach of security during the final at the Mobolaji Johnson Arena on Saturday.
Badawiy was said to have made wild attempts to run and jubilate in front of seated five state governors at the VVIP section of the stadium.
In a letter signed by the Lagos FA Secretary, Mrs Vera-Hycient Okechukwu, it demanded Badawiy to pay a fine of N10m and also issue a letter of apology to the Lagos FA and copy the Nigeria Football Federation on or before Monday, July 15, 2025.
Badawiy has however hit back at the Lagos State FA, insisting that it wasn’t within the right of the Lagos State FA to charge him.
“Ordinarily, this is not a matter I should have reacted to, especially coming from the Lagos State Football Association, considering the fact that the competition mentioned is not a Lagos state affair, but a national event,” he said via Sportsbash.
“I would have fully respected this call if it had emanated from the Nigeria Football Federation, who are the owners of the competition. However, let me remind you that I am a football person, and I know and respect all football development protocols.
“Mentioning that I breached security during an important match as the final of the President Federation Cup is a big surprise to me. And also, attaching a fine makes it confusing.
“It was a match owned and organised by the NFF, and the secretary general of the body, as well as the president of the nation’s football controlling body, were present at the final match, and they would have noticed if any security was breached at the final, and also, take up this assignment, not the Lagos FA.
“I don’t know when jubilation in football has become an offence that will attract a fine of as much as N10m. That’s a funny call,” he added.
The PUNCH reached out to the NFF president, Ibrahim Gusau and the general secretary, Dr Mohammed Sanusi for comments, but both officials didn’t respond to WhatsApp messages and calls put across by our correspondent.
Kwara United secured a 4-3 penalty shootout win over Abakaliki FC in the men’s final to win their first piece of silverware in the club’s history.
