ANGOLA MAKES U-TURN, INSISTS ON PLAYING IN NIGERIA

By NBF News

Keshi
Nigeria Football Federation's (NFF) plan to stage the international friendly match between the home-based Super Eagles and the Angolan National team in Benin Republic will no longer hold as the Angolans have insisted on playing the match in Nigeria.

On getting the information from the Angolan embassy, NFF immediately instructed the Super Eagles' Chief Coach, Steven Keshi, who was preparing to lead his wards out of the country yesterday to beat the closure of the borders by the impending strike which is expected to commence today.

The Angolans had insisted that they are not disposed to playing the Nigerian team on a neutral ground, and would prefer playing it in the country. The football house who is bound by the contract of the friendly is now forced to ensure that the match is played in the Nigeria.

To this end, the Angolans are expected to hit the country on yesterday to beat the planned closure of the borders by the NLC.

Meanwhile, the home Eagles are expected to depart the shores of Nigeria to Liberia where they are expected to take on the Liberia National Team in yet another international friendly match to be played on the 15th of January.

The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) had agreed to have the match played in neighbouring Cotonou, Benin Republic, so as to beat a planned nationwide strike by the country's labour union in protest over hike in fuel prices.

However, the NFF has since received a directive from the government that the game has to be played in Nigeria.

The NFF has thus offered for the match to be played in Ijebu-Ode, near Abeokuta, but Angola insisted that the friendly be played in Abuja, probably concerned about their safety.