'After a hearing, we discovered that the allegation against Mr John Fashanu is not correct,' Muyiwa Daniel, spokesman for the committee responsible for the NFA board election, said on Friday.

'Mr Fashanu can now compete in Friday's voting for clubs delegates onto the NFA board.'

Tope Tokoya, a defeated candidate during the zonal elections, had alleged that the club Fashanu is affiliated to, Shelter FC, is less than five years old.

According to the electoral committee rules, a candidate's club must be at least five years old before the election date, and Dabiel said that Shelter FC had been in existence for seven years.

The club is based in the Ogun state, in the south west of the country, the native home of Fashanu's late Nigerian father.

Daniel said if Fashanu is eventually voted as one of the clubs representatives, he would be an NFA board member and can contest the chairmanship next Friday.

Fashanu, who was born in England and lived there most of his life, holds dual British and Nigerian nationality.

He retired from playing in 1994 after a career which included spells with Norwich, Millwall, Aston Villa and, most notably, Wimbledon for whom he won an FA Cup winner's medal in 1988 against Liverpool.

Since retiring Fashanu has taken a keen interest in Nigerian soccer, saying he wants to be actively involved in its administration and organisation.

Fasahanu told Lagos-based Ray Power radio in an interview on Friday: 'For Nigerian football, I believe I'm that round peg for its round hole.