Cash strapped Nigeria Football Federation expects a miracle to happen as the Super Eagles prepare to resume camp for the their first group game of the FIFA 2018 World Cup qualifier against Zambia in Ndola.
The invited players are being expected to hit Abuja on Monday, but there is no indication if that will happen as conflicting signals from the NFF concerning players’ air tickets threaten to thwart the teams preparations.
“We expect the players to be in camp from Monday. This is because some of them played on Saturday, while others played on Sunday. “There is no big deal about the players being ordered to pay their way.
They will be refunded by the NFF as has been the practice before,” said media officer of the team Toyin Ibitoye. The Super Eagles are expected to train for few days in Abuja before flying out to Zambia on Friday for the game billed for Sunday.
It was reported by Africanfootball.com that coach Gernot Rohr and some of the players have been taken aback by the order to get their tickets. Rohr is still in Germany awaiting new developments from the NFF.
“Rohr is still in Germany after it was first agreed he will be sent his ticket before he was then asked to buy it and get a refund on arrival,”
“The players have also been caught off guard by this order to buy their tickets.” The players are also ready for a showdown with the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) after they were told to travel only economy class and that is besides the fact that many of them were not refunded for the tickets they bought to fly down for last month’s AFCON qualifier against Tanzania.
Zambia welcome Nigeria to Ndola on Sunday, October 9, to kick start the final round of the qualifying series for the 2018 World Cup to be staged in Russia. Algeria and Cameroon are the other teams in this tough qualifying section.
However, when contacted, NFF spokesman, Ademola Olajire, said: “It is only because some people are always looking for what is negative. It happens sometimes and the players are refunded once they come. I believe the Federation would have arrangement to refund them as they arrive.”
credit: vanguardngr