Football
The Super Eagles’ second
international friendly, against Burkina Faso in London on Monday, has been
called off after seven players in the Burkinabe contingent failed to secure
entry visas into the United Kingdom. The other players are able to enter the UK.
Chairman of the NFF
Technical and Development Committee, Barrister Chris Green told thenff.com in
London: “We regret to announce that the second friendly match we had scheduled
for the Super Eagles as part of preparations for the remaining matches of the
2018 FIFA World Cup qualifying series and the beginning of the 2019 Africa Cup
of Nations qualification race would no longer take place on Monday, 27th March
2017.
“The match in question is
called off due to no fault of either the organizers or the Nigeria Football
Federation. We will announce further plans for the Super Eagles’ preparation
for these two important qualifying campaigns in due course.”
There is no British
Embassy in Ouagadougou, and officials of the Federation Burkinabe de Football
had been shuttling between Accra and Ouagadougou for visa processing. FBF
sources said the Embassy in Accra told them last week to proceed to Morocco
(where the Etalons played the Atlas Lions on Friday) and that the visas would
be issued there.
However, the applications
were still pending at the British Embassy in Morocco as at close of work on
Friday, the last working day before match day in London.
The Burkinabe Football
Federation on Friday, 24th March 2017 by 7pm UK time telephoned the match
organizers to say some of their players and officials were unable to secure
entry visas into the United Kingdom and therefore would not be able to honour
the match.
NFF President and CAF
Executive Committee member, Amaju Pinnick was unhappy with the development but
stated that the objectives of satisfying the technical team’s desire of
squaring up against tough, physical African opposition and fostering team
bonding and organization were achieved.
“The Technical Adviser
(Gernot Rohr) wanted to play very physical African teams, as part of the
preparations for the World Cup qualifying matches against Cameroon, and we duly
fulfilled that with the arrangements we made for Senegal and Burkina Faso.
“Unfortunately, some of
the Burkinabe players could not secure entry visas into the UK. It is nobody’s
fault. Our joy is that we were able to play Senegal and got a fair result with
a depleted squad, and also the objectives of team bonding, team building, team
discipline and further imparting the Technical Adviser’s philosophy to the
group have been well served.
“The Technical Adviser has
also been able to look at a few more options, and our strength-in-depth is
looking very good.”
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