CAF gave the nod in response to NFF request to allow football fans to watch the match in Lagos, but warned that it has to comply with the COVID-19 protocols.
“We are returning the Super Eagles to Lagos for the first
time in 20 years and we felt it would not be fair to play in an empty stadium
hence we applied to CAF to allow us admit fans into the Teslim Balogun stadium
for our game against Lesotho.”
“Fortunately for us, CAF obliged by allowing the admittance
of 30 percent of the stadium’s total capacity to watch the game. So we expect
about 10,000 fans to be at the stadium to cheer the Super Eagles to victory on
March 30,” an NFF official stated.
CAF however warned that it would not condone any breach of
the COVID-19 protocols stressing that temperature check of the fans and social
distancing must also be observed.
“We are putting everything in place to ensure that we meet
the CAF requirements and COVID-19 protocols. All hands are on deck to ensure
that we spread the fans round the stadium in compliance with the COVID-19
protocols.”
Meanwhile, a select group of Nigeria Football Federation
(NFF) officials, as well as those of the Super Eagles, yesterday, embarked on a
boat trip to Porto Novo, to ‘test run’ the waterway ahead of the African Cup of
Nations qualifier against the Squirrels of Benin Republic. The match will hold
on Saturday, March 27 at the Stade Charles de Gaulle in Porto Novo.
Coach Gernot Rohr had told journalists recently in Lagos
that the team would most likely go by boat to avoid the bad roads between Nigeria
and Benin Republic.
An official of the NFF, who was part of the trip, told The
Guardian yesterday that the decision to ‘test the route’ was to enable the
federation ascertain whether or not it would be safe for the players and their
coaching crew to journey through boat for the match.
“We are inside a boat going to Porto Novo,” he said. “We
want to be sure if it will be safe and easier for the team to go by boat for
the match this weekend. The road is not good between Lagos and Cotonou, and it
may take just two hours crossing the water, instead of many hours on bad
roads.”
The boat trip to Porto Novo has raised concern among some
football-loving Nigerians, but NFF President, Amaju Pinnick, has said he sees
nothing wrong with the Super Eagles cruising on boat to Benin Republic.
“Going to Cotonou by boat, I do that all the time. When we
were going to inspect the venue, we did it. There is nothing wrong with
exploring other forms of adventure in Nigeria,” Pinnick said.
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