FA crisis affects Sunshine performance – Commissioner

By Femi Atolagbe
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Ondo State Commissioner for Sports and Youth Development, Mr Saka Yusuf-Ogunleye has attributed part of the problems Sunshine Stars had last season to the State Football Association (FA) crisis.

Ogunleye made the disclosure during the week in his office when the executive of the Sport Writers Association of Nigeria (SWAN) in the state paid him a courtesy visit.

It would be recalled that Sunshine Stars escaped relegation on the last day of the season in the 2017/2018 campaign.

The FA had been involved in leadership crisis between the Chairman and his Vice, Otunba Dele Ajayi and Otunba Dele Ologbese  respectively, with NFF annulling the elections, through letters, into the board twice.

The commissioner alleged that elections had been held twice by the FA with the Nigeria Football Federation leadership annulling it through letters.

He said that NFF should come down to the state and get the election done if they were not satisfied with the way elections were conducted in the state.

According to him, “they should come and handle it so that football would move forward in our state.”

Yusuf-Ogunleye noted that the  ministry would ensure that good legs were recruited into Sunshine Stars Football Club in the coming season.

He  said the state government would not neglect its responsibility as it  was  working to ensure that the state had another befitting stadium.

He promised to  continue to support the activities of sports writers in the state.

Earlier, the Chairman of SWAN, Wahab Bankole praised the ministry for supporting the state football agency and the sports council to move sports forward in the state.

Bankole, who said that sports remains a veritable tool to get youths off the streets, urged the commissioner to continue with the good work he had begun.