x

NFF Explains Why Falconets Overstayed At Istanbul Airport

The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) on Wednesday explained that a number of factors, including the inability to secure transit visas for players and officials of the U20 female national team at the Istanbul Airport, led to the side having to stay 24 hours at the airport in Turkey on their way from the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup.

“The NFF did not book the team’s tickets from Costa Rica; FIFA did. FIFA also did not envisage the hitches that saw the team delayed for more than three hours in Bogota, and another one hour in Panama. By the time the team got to Istanbul, the flight to Abuja had left,” NFF General Secretary, Dr Mohammed Sanusi, explained hours after pictures of the players sleeping on the airport floor surfaced on social media.

“Our officials pleaded for compassionate transit visas so as to take the players and officials to a hotel inside the town, but this was not possible as they were informed that Nigeria had been removed from the list of countries whose citizens were issued visa-on-arrival in Turkey.

“The airline then took the team to a sleeping area at the airport and gave them tickets to have meals every five hours. This situation has nothing to do with NFF, who had made arrangements to receive the team in Abuja before the complications in travel arrangements.”

It would be recalled that the NFF had implored the world-governing body, FIFA to intervene with the Embassy of Germany to issue the team transit visas before their departure from Nigeria in order for them to travel through Germany. This did not happen.

On the issue of body wear, Sanusi said: “The players were handed three sets of green jerseys and two sets of white jerseys, several house-wear types and training jerseys.

“The players opted to wash only their jersey top (no other stuff) because when the first set of body-wear was sent to the laundry people at the hotel, it returned with some FIFA and NFF badges at the front and names at the back peeled by the machine.”

Hot this week

Editors Urge Government To Create Safe, Enabling Environment For Journalists

· Ask security agents to find missing Vanguard journalistAs...

EXCLUSIVE: Buhari orders probe of Isa Funtua, AMCON over keystone and Etisalat

Following the controversy generated by the leading opposition party,...

6 Signs your boyfriend thinks you are ugly -Take note of No. 2

They say there are three kinds of people; the...

2023: South-East, Middle Belt Forum Endorses Peter Obi

The South-East and Middle Belt Forum has endorsed the...

NMA Applauds Gov. Otti for Approving 100% Salary Increase for Doctors

The Abia State chapter of the Nigerian Medical Association...

JUST IN: Court Admits Video Evidence Against Nnamdi Kanu in Terrorism Trial

The Federal High Court in Abuja on Wednesday admitted...

Politicians Fuel Fake News in Nasarawa via Social Media – NUJ Raises Alarm

By Abel Zwànke, Lafia The Nasarawa State Council of the...

AI Crucial for Advancing Health, Education, and Innovation – Bill Gates

Microsoft co-founder and philanthropist Bill Gates has emphasized the...

Edo governor plays host to Delta Speaker, members in Benin

By Anne Azuka Governor Monday Okpebholo of Edo State has ...

Comedian AY Questioned by EFCC Over Naira Abuse

Popular Nigerian comedian and actor, Ayo Makun, widely known...

Why Wigwe’s helicopter crashed – US transport board

The United States National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has...

Singer Portable Accuses Bank of Tracking, Alleges Kidnap Attempt Over Locked Account

Controversial Nigerian singer Portable has accused an unnamed bank...
spot_img

Related Articles

Popular Categories

spot_imgspot_img