NFF says report that it cannot fly Super Eagles to Zambia is ‘blatant falsehood’

The Nigeria Football Federation, NFF, has dismissed as “blatant falsehood” reports making the rounds that it is unable to fly the Super Eagles to Zambia for a World Cup qualifier billed for October.


A national daily had quoted an unidentified member of the NFF as saying that the apex football body lacks the fund to take the national team to Ndola, Zambia.

The unnamed NFF member had said, “As we speak, we don’t have any kobo (a denomination of Nigeria’s naira currency) in our purse.

“The charges for the Airline alone is $200,000 for a 140-seater plane, and it will be on ground with the team for two days.

“We need between $6,000 and $10,000 for flight ticket(s) to bring in the players (from Europe)”.

The NFF member was also said to have added that the only way forward was for the Nigerian government to accord the federation stronger support.

“The federal government still has to play its part, because this is the beginning of our campaign for the 2018 World Cup qualifying ticket. If we must get it right, every hand must be on deck.”

But on its Twitter handle, @thenff, Thursday morning, the NFF described the report as a big lie, adding that arrangements on movement to Zambia have been concluded.

It wrote, “Some persons have perfected the art of concocting stories they feel people want to read about the NFF and passing it off as authentic stories.

“The NFF President Pinnick: We have concluded arrangements on movement to and from Zambia. Any talk of being unable to go is a big lie.

“The NFF has dismissed a report that it cannot fly the Super Eagles to Zambia for a World cup qualifier as a blatant falsehood.”