Sports - Liberia AFCON Clash With Nigeria To Be Called Off
https://nigeriaafrica1.blogspot.com/2012/10/sports-liberia-afcon-clash-with-nigeria.html
The president of the Liberian Football Association has warned that their Africa Cup of Nations match against Nigeria is in danger of being called off.
Liberia's squad were due to arrive in Nigeria on Thursday but their flight remained stranded in Ghana, where they have been based, after it was refused permission to take off.
Musa Bility, the LFA president, says permission from the Nigerian authorities was not forthcoming. He is also critical of the Nigerian Football Federation (NFF), suggesting they offered little support.
Bility said: "The Nigeria FA were fully informed of our arrival and sent a list of our delagation and the aircraft and we did not get any response from them."
In their defence, the NFF told the reporters that - as of Thursday evening - they were not aware of any problem.
Liberia had chartered an aircraft to take them to Calabar, the venue for Saturday's second leg in the final round of qualifying for the Cup of Nations. The tie is level at 2-2.
"Unfortunately, as of four o'clock, the aircraft still had not received landing confirmation from the Nigeria airport authority," Bility said.
"We do not know why there has been a delay. Our aircraft people said they could not fly after four o'clock because the airport at Calabar closes early."
Liberia will seek to travel again on Friday.
The NFF, through their head of international competition, Bola Oyeyode, issued the following statement at lunch-time on Friday:
"As at Friday morning, the NFF was still expecting the 125-member Liberian delegation, as against information from the Liberia Football Association that the team would land in Calabar by 7.30pm on Thursday.
"We're still expecting them to advise us on their new arrival time. They got in touch with us on Thursday night to say that they had a problem with the aircraft they wanted to charter and that they would find their way into Nigeria on Friday.
"We are still expecting them for the game on Saturday."
Musa Bility, the LFA president, says permission from the Nigerian authorities was not forthcoming. He is also critical of the Nigerian Football Federation (NFF), suggesting they offered little support.
Bility said: "The Nigeria FA were fully informed of our arrival and sent a list of our delagation and the aircraft and we did not get any response from them."
In their defence, the NFF told the reporters that - as of Thursday evening - they were not aware of any problem.
Liberia had chartered an aircraft to take them to Calabar, the venue for Saturday's second leg in the final round of qualifying for the Cup of Nations. The tie is level at 2-2.
"Unfortunately, as of four o'clock, the aircraft still had not received landing confirmation from the Nigeria airport authority," Bility said.
"We do not know why there has been a delay. Our aircraft people said they could not fly after four o'clock because the airport at Calabar closes early."
Liberia will seek to travel again on Friday.
The NFF, through their head of international competition, Bola Oyeyode, issued the following statement at lunch-time on Friday:
"As at Friday morning, the NFF was still expecting the 125-member Liberian delegation, as against information from the Liberia Football Association that the team would land in Calabar by 7.30pm on Thursday.
"We're still expecting them to advise us on their new arrival time. They got in touch with us on Thursday night to say that they had a problem with the aircraft they wanted to charter and that they would find their way into Nigeria on Friday.
"We are still expecting them for the game on Saturday."
