Daily Independent (Lagos)
Uzor Odigbo
1 July 2009
Lagos — Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) hierarchy is singing discordant tunes on the planned Super Eagles warm-up matches before the World Cup qualifiers against Cartage Eagles of Tunisia on September 6.
While NFF President, Sani Lulu Abdullahi, and Chairman, Technical Committee, Taiwo Ogunjobi have confirmed the countries that would engage the national team in warm-up matches, the federation's scribe, Bolaji Ojo-Oba, categorically announced the cancellation of the warp-up encounters.
"This is a dangerous development," said a member of the executive board, who did not want his name in print.
"They can't be speaking like this in a world where telephones exist. Something must be wrong somewhere. These are principal officers of the federation who should have clarified any misunderstanding in-house, before making their respective opinions public".
The NFF boss insisted on international friendly matches, which he said will assist the team's cohesion, and have already spelt out the benefit players will derive from playing the warm-ups.
In Ojo-Oba's statement, he was concerned about players' tenacity in their various clubs in view of the start of a new reason.
"The European season would have commenced fully by August 12 and our players would be struggling for first-team shirts at their respective clubs," argued Ojo-Oba.
"If we get them to play the friendly, it could affect them in that regard.
"However, the team will play a friendly after the game against Tunisia in Abuja."
Ogunjobi said last week that the association was considering a warm-up against a North African team like Tunisia for August.
However, Super Eagles head coach, Shuaibu Amodu, has already turned down a proposal for the Eagles to take on Uruguay in an August friendly in London, insisting he would prefer an African opposition.
Tunisia leads Group Two with seven points from three matches, while Nigeria are second and two points adrift.
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