NFF Rejects Libya Captain’s Claims Of Poor Treatment, Blames Libyan FA For Mismanagement.
The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has dismissed allegations made by Faisal Al-Badri, captain of the Libyan national football team, regarding poor treatment upon their arrival in Nigeria. The NFF insists that the Libyan Football Federation (LFF) is responsible for the disorganisation experienced by their team, the Mediterranean Knights.
Mr. Emmanuel Ayanbunmi, the NFF’s Assistant Director of Protocol, clarified that the Libyan FA only notified the NFF that their team would be landing in Port Harcourt, rather than Uyo, just three hours before their arrival on Tuesday.
“I spoke to the General Secretary of the LFF at length on Monday, 7th October, and he never mentioned that the team would be arriving the following day,” Ayanbunmi explained. “He said he would get back to me, but he never did. It was only late on Monday evening, through an advance party sent by the LFF, that we were informed the team would be arriving on Tuesday at noon. We had already made all the necessary arrangements to receive the team in Uyo.”
The sudden change of plans, with the Libyan team opting to land in Port Harcourt, caused disruption, according to Ayanbunmi. He noted that the NFF scrambled to secure approval for the team to fly directly from Port Harcourt to Uyo after completing immigration formalities. However, the Libyan FA chose to avoid additional costs from their charter company, electing instead to travel by road.
The NFF also refuted claims regarding the quality of transportation provided, stating that the Libyan delegation chose to hire their own buses rather than using those arranged by the NFF. “If they travelled in buses without air-conditioning, that was their own decision. We ensured they had security, with men and vehicles in front and behind their buses, so we are unmoved by their complaints and threats,” Ayanbunmi concluded.
The NFF maintains that it fulfilled all its obligations to ensure the safe and smooth arrival of the Libyan team, and attributes any logistical issues to the LFF’s last-minute decisions.
