The visiting delegation from the east African country has been disappointed by the treatment it’s gotten since arriving Lagos ahead of Saturday’s World Cup qualifier

The Nigeria Football Federation abandoned the visiting Kenyan national team to its fate on Wednesday. The east Africans will play against the Super Eaglesin Saturday’s 2014 World Cup qualification match in Calabar, Cross River State.
The Harambee Stars arrived at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos via a Kenya Airways flight on Wednesday afternoon.

On arrival at the airport, there was not one high ranking member of the Nigeria Football Federation to receive the team for a game of such international magnitude.

Expecting to be ferried to Calabar straight away in order to begin preparations for the crucial game, the east Africans were told that the only flight that goes to the city had departed and that they would need to wait till Thursday.

They then requested that a plane be chartered for them but did not get any response from an NFF official named Alataka who was communicating with them via telephone. They said that his mobile was unreachable for prolonged periods.

The team was later taken to the Silver Grandeur Hotel, around Isolo, to lodge for the night. According to the Kenyan head of delegation Hussein Terry, the hotel owned by NFF vice president Chief Mike Umeh is “a two star hotel” and it contravened the Caf/Fifa statutes that say any visiting international team must be accommodated in at least a four star hotel.

Terry also stated that as head of delegation, a separate saloon car should have been provided for him. However, the NFF did not do such and he had to share the team’s Coaster bus.

The Kenyans also complained of being left without a security official accompanying them.

The Football Kenya Federation sent a letter of protest to the NFF. In the letter made available to Goal.com, the federation’s secretary general Michael Esokwa asked the NFF to urgently address the needs of the visiting team according to agreed terms.

While not wanting to waste the opportunity of acclimatising in the humid weather, they decided to find a football field to work out. They were taken to the Ajao Estate Primary School in Oshodi.

There the team, under the watchful eyes of coach Adel Amrouche, did light jogging and stretching exercises on the dusty grounds of the primary school.

Amrouche later told Goal.com that he wasn’t fazed by the poor reception that his team had been given. “T.I.A,” he said.

“This is Africa,” he explained before walking into the team bus.

Coach Adel Amrouche with captain Dennis Oliech

With the less than hospitable treatment that the east Africans have been given, many of the team officials are already talking about using it to turn the table against their opponents in Saturday’s encounter.

“We will spoil your party,” one official said. “That you’re the African champions makes us more motivated to defeat you.”

The Harambee Stars stretching inside the Ajao Estate Primary School

An accompanying journalist told Goal.com: “I love your country if this is how they treat visitors,” he said with sarcasm.



Celtic star Victor Wanyama with a team mate

The Kenyans will hope to get space on the Arik Air flight that departs for Calabar on Thursday in order to settle down in the Canaan City ahead of their game on Saturday.

For them, it’s far from Uhuru.

http://www.goal.com/en-ng/news/4093/nigeria/2013/03/21/3841811/nff-leaves-kenyan-delegation-without-security-as-harambee

What goes around, comes around

second to reserve my comment....

This is Un-Nigerian at all..

what goes around comes around na so

Nigerian teams are used to this treatment outside naija.
It is african problem and it is highly condemnable.

[size=15pt]this is just messed up like why would the NFF do something like this [/size]

Our authorities need to improve on their attitude to work, and mot make indiscipline a way of life. We should take our jobs seriously as this is an image thing.

Are they being paid in their own coin?
If yes,this is so immature and not necessary
If no,we are talking about corruption again

Who dem be sef? Abi dem be Chelsea

Abeg park well jor. Una nor happy sef

hurricaneChris: What goes around, comes around

meaning? dont u know that an eye for an eye will leave everybody blind? so because we get treated shabbily by other africans (mind u i dont even believe) this is the best we can give a visiting team? its shameful!

This is ridiculous...

How can they host the kenyan team in the pry school playing ground to train for a match....

NFF no dey try at all...

I just pray make kenyan team no use d vex flog nigeria o...becos na dat one go bad...

This isn't good at all!

this NFF guys are completely insane

Ajao Estate Primary School

I love Nigeria

Shabby treatment.

Which way to go, Nigeria.

that school don become popular now, make i send my kids go there.. Kenya no vex caf neva pay us......

Nigeria is nt known 4 dis. Is it because their broda refuse to call dem( Nigeria) 4 african summit? though assumption.

LWKMH. ;DLWKMH. They are lucky those omota didn't have match when dey wanted to train on the school pitch. Yeye people as if they trat us any better.

9JA MY COUNTRY I HAIL THEEEEEEEEEEEE

Too bad i must say.

What arrant rubbish.Why will NFF do such a thing? Remember we have many of our brothers playing in their league.

Is oga at the top aware of this??

nawa o......anyhow sha enjoy the environment while it lasts cos wen d agberos find ur location den,na trek una go trek go back Kenya .....hehehehehehehhe

At times, some things happen in this country that I begin to ask myself" y Nigeria? Y Dis country?". The whole sector is so corrupt that GEJ is not even the problem of the country. May God help us all.

This is serious