Nigeria threaten Marseille

By Oluwashina Okeleji
BBC Sport, Lagos

The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has threatened action against French club Marseille if they do not release defender Taye Taiwo for next month's Olympic Games in China.

The NFF says it will report the club to world football's governing body Fifa if he is not allowed to travel to Beijing.

"We have sent them two letters already on this matter after the Fifa ruling and we hope they will co-operate with us," NFF spokesman Ademola Olajire told BBC Sport.

"I think Fifa will step in if they refuse him an opportunity to represent his country at a big stage like the Olympics."

Taiwo is an influential member of the Nigerian "Dream Team" and wants to play in China.

"I flew in from England just to sort everything out but they still won't budge," the player's agent Michael Coker told the BBC from France.

"I quite understand the position of the club but this could be his only chance of playing at the Olympics."

A spokesman for Marseille told the BBC that the issue needed to be resolved, because there was confusion over Taiwo's eligibility.

He is 23 and the Olympic tournament is for under-23 players.

But Fifa has ruled that any player born after 1 January 1985 is eligible and therefore must be released for the Games.

Taiwo was born on 16 April 1985.

He is the only member of the Nigerian squad missing from the team's training camp in South Korea.

RELATED INTERNET LINKS:
World Football
CAF
BBC Fast Track - at the heart of African sport
Olympique Marseille - official site
Beijing 2008 football tournament
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites