NFF Blasts Report On Team Abandonment

The Nigeria Football Federation has described as utterly mischievous, a report in a national newspaper of Friday, 1st February, 2013 saying that its officials have abandoned the Super Eagles by not staying in the team camp at the 29th Africa Cup of Nations.

Chairman of the NFF Media and Publicity Committee, Chief Emeka Inyama, said: “Anyone who has an idea of how things work at major championships know that only the team (players, technical and backroom staff) are provided for by the organizers in the team camp.

 “The report that NFF officials have abandoned the team is mischievous and malicious. The fact that we are not staying in the team camp does not mean we have abandoned any of our resposibilities to the team. The President and members of Executive Committee are responsible and diligent individuals who know why they are in South Africa.

 “The NFF President, Chairman of Technical Committee and Director of Technical are always in touch with the team, either physically or on phone. On a number of occasions, the NFF President has gone to the team camp with members of the NFF Executive Committee and legislators.”

Inyama lambasted the reporter for inventing quotes that he claimed corroborated his story. “We are not staying in the team camp because we want maximum concentration for the players and their officials but we have not shied away from any responsibility, duty or obligation that we have to the team.

 “Nigerians at home and abroad have commended the fact that officials are allowing the team to plot its strategies and tactics without any distraction.”

“We are on top of the situation, and we can assure Nigerians that the Super Eagles are in great form to overcome the Elephants on Sunday,” Inyama concluded.