Afrigather Nigeria’s Minister of Sports activities Growth, Senator John Enoh, has raised critical considerations concerning the competence and decision-making of prime officers on the Confederation of African Soccer CAF, Soccernet.ng stories.
This follows the appalling remedy the Tremendous Eagles obtained in Libya, the place they have been scheduled to play an Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifying match in opposition to the Mediterranean Knights.
The Nigerian group, together with its officers, have been “held hostage” at an deserted airport in Al-Abraq after their flight was diverted from its unique vacation spot in Benghazi.
Exhausted and dehydrated after spending 15 hours with out meals, water, or web entry, the Tremendous Eagles determined to withdraw from the match in opposition to Libya.
On their return to Nigeria, CAF introduced it could examine the scenario and take acceptable motion.
Nonetheless, Senator Enoh expressed disappointment, stating that all the episode may have been prevented if the CAF had acted extra diligently.
The Sports activities Minister revealed that, throughout an earlier dialog with CAF President Patrice Motsepe and the group’s Secretary Basic, he had questioned why CAF had not instantly contacted Libyan authorities when the scenario first unfolded.
Enoh drew a comparability to a earlier incident when South Africa made a logistical error throughout a visit to Nigeria for a match in Uyo.
The South African contingent, similar to their Libyan counterpart final week, had flown to Port Harcourt as a substitute of on to Uyo, leaving the Nigeria Soccer Federation scrambling to make various logistic plans.
On that event, South Africa-born Motsepe and his Secretary Basic swiftly intervened, placing strain on the NFF to resolve the difficulty.
Enoh was troubled by the distinction in responses, noting that CAF acted decisively to help South Africa however left Nigeria stranded in Libya with no instant intervention.
“In some unspecified time in the future, we additionally had some little subject with the South African group,” Enoh defined in an interview with Channels TV. “Once more, not created by Nigeria however due to their insistence to desire to land in Port Harcourt. This can be a distinct subject material: Why would groups desire to do this than fly straight to Uyo? Totally different subject material.
“However I referred to as the eye of CAF yesterday morning to the truth that when that occurred and the NFF was even on the bottom to type out no matter logistics, CAF secretary normal didn’t enable the (NFF) president one minute, it was steady contact and strain and all of that. And the way come (that was not the case for Nigeria)?”
He continued:
“As of yesterday morning, it was already about 12, 13 hours (of the Nigerian delegation in Libya). I mentioned, how come? 13 hours after our group is so subjected, there isn’t a indication that CAF is in direct communication with the Libyan Soccer Federation.”
Senator Enoh additionally criticised CAF’s choice to permit Libya to host AFCON qualifiers regardless of the nation’s ongoing political turmoil.
He speculated that even when CAF had tried to contact Libyan authorities, they won’t have recognized which of the 2 factional governments to strategy.
“It appears to me that the CAF president might not have recognized which (Libyan) authority to talk to,” Enoh mentioned.
“It calls to query due to this fact, if there are such two authorities in Libya, does Libya supply a great setting, situation, and scenario for worldwide matches of this nature to be hosted within the nation.”
CAF has but to launch its findings on the incident, and it stays unclear whether or not sanctions will probably be imposed on Libya, Nigeria, or each, relying on the investigation’s final result.
