African champions Nigeria flew into Sao Paulo just before midnight (Brazil time) on Saturday – the last team to arrive at the 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup in Brazil. Earlier scheduled to arrive on Thursday, the Super Eagles are 48 hours late after a stand-off with Nigerian football authorities oover bonuses payable, despite a mutual understanding with the team’s management on a 50 per cent cut.
Coach Stephen Keshi insisted his players would only leave Namibia if the money arrived in the southern African nation.
On Saturday, a first batch from Windhoek to Johannesburg inexplicably
missed their flight, but Team Administrator Enebi Achor, who was in
the second batch, worked hard to ensure that batch eventually arrived in Johannesburg early enough to retain seats on the connecting flight.
“We are all on the same flight. Everything’s sorted out now,” Achor
said on telephone from Johannesburg.
On board were 22 players and 10 officials, with midfielder Ogenyi Onazi having sustained a knee injury in the 2014 FIFA World Cup qualifier against Namibia in Windhoek on Wednesday.
Officials said on Saturday, before the team left Johannesburg, that Onazi, who was in the team that triumphed at the Africa Cup of Nations in South Africa earlier in the year and won the Copa Italia with SS Lazio last month, was still being expected to join the squad in South America.
However, defender Kunle Odunlami and midfielder Obinna Nwachukwu, dropped from the team, flew back to Nigeria on Friday. Onazi was on the same flight. The players were led by special assistant to NFF President, Tunde Aderibigbe.
Nigeria play Tahiti, champions of Oceania at the Estadio Mineirao in Belo Horizonte starting from 4pm Brazil time on Monday, which is 8pm Nigeria time.
The Nigeria Football Federation has informed the Embassy of Nigeria in
Brazil about the team’s arrival, and pleaded for extension of usual courtesies, even as the team would be taken over by the Local Organizing Committee of the FIFA Confederations Cup on arrival in Sao Paulo.
Coach Keshi said on Saturday that the team would have an official training session on Sunday – hours after their arrival.
After Monday’s clash with the Oceanians, the Eagles train moves to Salvador, where they clash with South American champions Uruguay at the Arena Fonte Nova at 7pm Brazil time (11pm Nigeria time) on Thursday, June 20.
On Sunday, June 23, the African champions take the pitch at the
Estadio Castelao against world and European champions Spain – one of the most anticipated games of the group phase. That match starts at 4pm Brazil time (8pm Nigeria time).
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