Tanzania FA fail to receive Super Eagles at airport

Friday, September 4, 2015 9:54 am

Taiwo Adelu

Super Eagles inside the chartered ARIK flight to Tanzania

Report from Dar es Salaam says no official of Tanzania Football Federation was on ground to receive the delegation of Nigeria who was in that country for Saturday’s Africa Cup of Nations qualifying match.

The delegation led by President of Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), Amaju Pinnick landed at Julius Nyerere International Airport 11.56 pm Tanzania time, two hours behind schedule only to be received by the officials of Nigerian High Commission in Tanzania with none of the local FA people around.

NFF President said on a Lagos-based sports radio early Friday that Nigeria communicated the travel itinerary of the delegation to its counterpart in Tanzania, but shrugged off concern about the cold reception, saying the Nigerian team are in Tanzania to win the game.

“We are here to win this match, ” Amaju insisted.

One of the foreign based players in the team, Anthony Ujah who plies his trade at Welder Bremen in Germany called on Nigerians to support the Eagles with their prayers, adding that the team are battle ready for the match.

According to a report on the NFF website, the Nigerian delegation, composed of 110 people, lodged at Hyatt Regency, a 5-star hotel, in Dar es Salaam.

Apart from Pinnick, others in the delegation are former NFF President Aminu Maigari, NFF 2^nd Vice President/LMC Chairman Shehu Dikko, some Members of the NFF Executive Committee including Felix Anyansi-Agwu, Sunday Dele-Ajayi and Sharif Inuwa and a couple of Management Staff. Also on board was former Commissioner for Sports, Ogun State, Honourable Bukola Olopade.

There were 23 players of the Super Eagles, technical and administrative officials of the team led by Head Coach Sunday Oliseh, a number of NFF staff, some football stakeholders, a number of media representatives and 20 members of the Nigeria Football Supporters Club led by the President-General, Dr. Rafiu Oladipo.

The chartered ARIK Air Boeing 737-800 aircraft that flew out of the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja touched down at the Julius Nyerere International Airport in Dar es Salaam at 11.56pm Tanzania time (9.56pm Nigeria time).

Some officials of the High Commission of Nigeria in Dar es Salaam joined NFF advance delegation led by Deputy Director (Competitions), Bola Oyeyode in receiving the Eagles’ delegation.

Sunday Oliseh and his team are expected to have a feel of the National Stadium in Dar es Salaam later on Friday.