NFF to Scrutinise Team List, As U-23 Eagles Plan Trip to U.S

Published on: 16 June 2016

The Nigeria Football Federation's (NFF) technical committee will soon meet to scrutinize the provisional list of players submitted by the national U-23 team's technical crew ahead of the Rio 2016 Olympic Games amid allegations of bribery leveled against the technical crew.

The technical crew, led by Samson Siasia, in April released a provisional list of 60 players for the Olympics and later added Nyokobing of Denmark forward, Olajide Owolabi, to the squad.

He is expected to reduce the number before the team departs for the United States where they will hold their final preparation camp before flying to Rio.

A member of the NFF technical committee, who pleaded anonymity, said the body has received a number of complaints from some players, who alleged that they were being asked to pay certain amount of money if they desired to be in the team.

"We want to ensure that only qualified players are picked to represent Nigeria at the Olympics because the Olympic team is the next step to the Super Eagles and we are not joking with it.

"We will ask questions if we find any funny player in the team and the NFF has warned that it would take drastic measures if the allegations are proved to be true.

"Make no mistake about it, we don't believe that the coaches will descend so low as to collect money from players. But where that is found to be the case, we will deal with it decisively," he said.

The national U-23 team will depart for their final training camp in Miami, USA, on July 29, and move to Rio a few days before the beginning of the Olympics in August,the official said.

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