Tunde Sulaiman
1 October 2008
Lagos — The Local Organising Committee (LOC) for next year's U-17 World Cup has tacitly delayed the scheduled visit of the inspection team from the International Football Federation (FIFA) because it is afraid of exposing the nation to ridicule.
The FIFA team was originally billed to make its third visit to the country ahead of passing its final verdict on Nigeria's quest to host the world next year, this weekend.
But the burial of former member of FIFA Executive Committee Etubom Oyo Orok Oyo this Friday has come in handy as an excuse to get the inspection visit pushed forward by the LOC till possibly the end of the month.
This will actually enable the hosting cities do more work on the facilities, which the FIFA team is coming to inspect for the 'umpteenth' time.
While the LOC is insisting that the FIFA U-17 World Cup, Nigeria 2009 is a done deal, rumours persist that the world football governing body has a 'plan B' just in case Nigeria fails to get the nod.
THISDAYSports scooped that the LOC was forced to seek the face saving way out of securing the postponement of the FIFA visit following scathing reports from its own assessment teams on the state of preparedness of the cities to host the event, which has now been upgraded from a championship to a full World Cup status by FIFA.
The LOC with the FIFA visit in mind had sent a delegation to the three areas of the nation interested in hosting the competition - South West, North and South East - for a first hand view of what was in place.
However, all the reports filed in on their return from their visits painted a very bleak picture of what was on ground.
Acutely aware of government's slow response to the release of funds, the LOC, headed by Mainasara Ilo had approached state governments hoping that those interested in hosting the competition would put their individual houses in order.
However, in spite of promises to do so, THISDAYSports learnt that so far only Lagos and Abuja would be certified okay should the FIFA team arrive as scheduled this weekend.
Other cities, which had signalled their interest in the competition, are Warri, Ijebu Ode, Kaduna, Kano, Bauchi, Enugu and Calabar.
While not all the reports were scathing in their assessment of the stadia, they, however, picked holes in other vital areas like hotels and medical facilities.
A highly placed LOC source told THISDAYSports that while Kaduna for instance was okay with its stadium the fact that the best medical facility was located in Zaria about an hours drive from the Ahmadu Bello Stadium, which was not okay for FIFA.It's outpost in Kaduna city was not considered good enough for FIFA standard.
The Kaduna Nursing Hospital, which is situated in the capital, however, needs a massive upgrade for it to pass the FIFA test - so far the state government has not done so.
Bauchi for insistence is facing the problem of not only the stadium but also hotel accommodation and medical facilities, while Ijebu-Ode Stadium is okay the town still needs to have highly quality hotels and modern medical facilities to secure FIFA's green light.
With so much still to be done the LOC is hoping that by giving the state's more time will enable them make appreciable progress in putting the required facilities in place in order to allay FIFA's fears.
Ironically, FIFA is used to Nigeria's last ditch scramble to put its house in order before receiving the green light. FIFA Vice President Mr. Jack Warner described Nigeria as the 'eighth wonder of the world' after she was able to scramble to beat FIFA's deadline to host the 1999 Junior World Cup.
The Trinidad and Tobago FIFA bigwig is also in charge of this inspection and should he again give the go ahead when he visits at the end of the month may describe Nigeria's feat as the 'ninth wonder of the world'.
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