The Nigeria Football Association (NFA) has sacked its chairman, Anthony Kojo Williams, just five days before Nigeria begins co-hosting the African Nations Cup.

The NFA board passed a vote of no confidence in Mr Williams and a board member said that the chairman had failed to win the board's approval on a series of decisions.

"We have to remove Mr Williams because he has failed to carry the other board members along", he said.

Mr Williams, who was appointed just three months ago refused to comment on his dismissal.

"I cannot talk on what has just happened. At the appropriate time, I will talk," he said.

And he was involved in a controversy over who should be the new national team manager, preferring former Super Eagles coach Dutchman Clemens Westerhof.

The Sports Ministry insisted on his compatriot Jo Bonfrere - and won the argument.

The new acting chairman is Brigadier Dominic Oneya.

Elephant's 'head-butt'

It is emerging that the Elephants of the Ivory Coast have had to drop one of their players following an alleged fracas at training.

Italian-based defender, Saliou Lasisi, who plays for Serie A side Parma was dropped from the squad and temporarily put into a military camp in the Ivory Coast after he allegedly head-butted a team-mate who had refused to pass the ball to him during training.

The president of the Ivorian Football Federation, Ousseynou Dieng, said the victim of the fracas Blaise Kouassi had ended up with a damaged lip.

On release Saliou denied the allegations and said that he was well-treated at the military camp.

Saliou has now returned to his club in Italy.

Other Cup of Nations news

Tunisia will play Ghana in Accra on Tuesday in a friendly but no spectators will be allowed to watch the match.

The Ghana Football Association has not explained why they want a spectator-less final build-up game.

Co-hosts Ghana, are scheduled to open the tournament in the capital Accra, on Saturday against Cameroon

Tunisia clash with the other co-hosts, Nigeria in Lagos on Sunday.

It also looks as though DR Congo will be missing their England-based star, Michel Ngonge.

Although Ngonge played last weekend for English Premiership side, Watford, as a substitute the club say he is reluctant to travel, as his wife is expecting a baby imminently.

The club also said no official approach had been made to Watford by the Congolese football authorities and Ngonge himself had been the one liasing with Kinshasa.