Nigerian president bans soccer team for 2 yrs

Updated at: 0144 PST, Thursday, July 01, 2010 ABUJA: Nigeria's president Goodluck Jonathan has suspended the national soccer team from international competition for two years after their dismal performance at the World Cup. Nigeria came bottom of their group at the tournament in South Africa, losing to Argentina and Greece before drawing with South Korea. Now president Jonathan has dissolved the Nigerian Football Federation and removed the 'Super Eagles' from the international circuit, meaning sanctions from soccer's governing body, FIFA, could follow. Nigeria's Sports Minister Ibrahim Isa Bio confirmed the decision in an interview with media. He said: "The government has taken a decision we believe is in the interests of Nigeria that we should for now, withdraw from international competition because our football since 1996 seems not to be growing. "The government spends a lot of money to encourage football in Nigeria and we need to go back to the drawing board the way Ghana did two years ago. "The president Goodluck Jonathan has endorsed this decision and the Nigerian people are excited about it. "They are not happy with the performance [in the World Cup] and the Nigerian people believe the right thing to do is start all over again. We have informed FIFA of our intentions."