FIFA demands extra security guarantee from Nigeria

Hello Friends!

There are very strong indications that the world football governing body FIFA now demands extra security guarantee from Nigeria to cover visiting teams. This has apparently become necessary as a result of the bombings in the country and the special concern on the activities of the Boko Haram group in the northern part of the country.

The First Vice President of the Nigeria Football Federation, Chief Mike Umeh, explained the situation while speaking with journalists during the fidau of the late Super Eagles striker, Rasheed Yekini in Ira, Kwara State on Saturday.

Umeh said that that NFF now gives guarantee for the safety of players and officials to FIFA before hosting any competition in the country and adding that the current insecurity in the country was affecting Nigerian football in general. The NFF official explained that it was mainly for security reasons that Calabar became the choice venue for the forthcoming international competitions involving the Super Eagles through the month of June.

He said, “The choice of Calabar is simply because of security reasons. There is nothing more than that. Even now, we have to give FIFA guarantee for the safety of the visiting teams for them to play in Nigeria. When we talk of security lapses in Nigeria, it is difficult for the outside world, to understand because whether it happens in Jos or Enugu, or anywhere else, Nigeria is Nigeria. We really have to sit tight and ensure that this security measures are taken care of.”

It is the standard for hosts to give guarantees but extra measure is taking for volatile regions or games are suspended in the country until norlmalcy returns. Matches were cancelled in Libya during their civil war. It was learnt that some of the teams billed for Nigeria this year had actually complained to FIFA concerning security.

Even though the Abuja National Stadium has problems with bad pitch, Kaduna that was picked originally had to be jettisoned due to bombings in the city. Kano that had hosted major Eagles match in the past years has since been forgotten as the centre has suffered more bombings and violence than even Kaduna. The friendly match Eagles played with Angola in January was nearly moved to Cotonou, Republic of Benin but on the insistence of the Federal Government that it had to be played in Abuja with great vigilance.

Culled from The Punch.

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Simply Cheska...