NLC Strike: NFF Shifts Angola Tie To Cotonou

The planned strike by the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, to compel President Goodluck Jonathan to restore the subsidy on petrol removed by the Federal Government on New Year day has forced Nigeria Football Federation, NFF, to shift the international friendly match between the Super Eagles and Angola to Cotonou, Benin Republic.

Ther had been speculations in the media that the match might be shifted due to the strike, it can now be confirmed that the commercial town of Cotonou in Benin Republic will now play host to the international friendly tie.

SuperSport.com was informed by the Nigeria Football Federation, NFF, spokesman, Ademola Olajire, early today that the Benin FA has agreed to play host to the game.

He said the Benin FA boss, Anjourin Moucharaf, played a role in accepting that the match holds in Cotonou after a short notice from the NFF.

“The match will go on as planned on 11 January but the venue has changed because of the indefinite strike planned by organised labour to commence on Monday.

“We have contacted the Benin FA and Cotonou should play host to the game. The Benin FA president has been helpful even when he was contacted at short notice,” said the NFF press officer.

It was gathered that the Angolan FA had contacted the NFF and requested that the game be held in Cotonou following the fuel subsidy protests across the country.

Meanwhile, Eagles†Chief Coach, Steven Keshi, has said that the failure of the coaches in the Nigeria Premier League to adequately train the players has made his job of building a home -based team a little difficult.

Keshi noted that if the coaches had trained the players on basic football skills, he would have just concentrated on developing tactics and not be involved in teaching the players basic rules of football.

He said people should not expect him to go to the grassroots to pick players for the national team, stressing that the job of discovering players from the grassroots belong to the clubs and the federation.

“We talk about going back to the grassroots; yes it is good but that is not my job. Ordinarily, I am not supposed to be teaching these players the basic things like how to trap ball, move with the ball and positioning. These are things they should have known from their clubs but no it is not so. Now I have to go the extra miles to bring the players to the level I want them to be. My job is to assemble players and not to groom.”