BRAZIL TO GET N237M, REJECTS TESLIM BALOGUN STADIUM

OFFICIALS of the Brazilian national team, which will pocket $1.5 million (about N237 million) for an international friendly against the Super Eagles, have rejected the Teslim Balogun Stadium in Lagos as venue of the game proposed to hold in November.

The Guardian learnt that the game could now take place in Abuja because the Brazilian representatives insist on playing the game on a pitch with natural grass instead of an artificial turf.

According to a source at the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) Marketing Department, the organiser of the match, Guinness, which is bankrolling the friendly as part of its contractual agreement with the football federation to bring Grade A matches involving the first five nations in FIFA ranking to Nigeria annually, has agreed terms with the South American side.

Other conditions demanded by the Brazilian team, apart from the appearance fee, is to camp the side in a five-star hotel, as well as fly them in first class to and from Nigeria. The source said: 'In fact, Brazil agreed to play in Nigeria because of the success Guinness recorded in the friendly against Argentina last year.”

'You know it was part of the contractual agreement for Guinness under the brand name, Guinness the Match, to bring any of the first five (best five FIFA ranked team) to Nigeria. You know that Guinness would be paying an appearance fee of $1.5 million in addition to the demand from Brazil to fly the team in first class and keep them in a five-star hotel.

'They made wide consultations with Argentina after the encounter with the Super Eagles last year. Guinness had wanted the match to take place at the Teslim Balogun Stadium but the Brazilians insisted that they would not play on an artificial turf. That was why the match was finally scheduled to take place in Abuja.'