Malawi Delegation Arrives Thursday For Eagles’ Match

The delegation of Football Association of Malawi, FAM, to Saturday’s 2014 FIFA World Cup qualifying match against African champions, Nigeria will land in Abuja on Thursday morning. The contingent will arrive from Accra, Ghana.

Already, General Secretary of FAM, Mr. Suzgo Nyirenda is on ground, having arrived in Nigeria on Monday, and is now in Calabar to see facilities for himself ahead of his team’s arrival.

Nyirenda, who fired a letter to world-football governing body, FIFA last month suggesting that Calabar is not safe for the qualifying cracker, has turned around to praise Nigeria Football Federation, NFF, for its professionalism, maturity and hospitality.

“On behalf of the Football Association of Malawi, I would like to thank you and the entire Nigeria Football Federation for the warm welcome that you accorded me and my accountant both in Abuja as well as in Calabar. We are now in Calabar where your Director of Technical, Dr. Emmanuel Ikpeme, gave us a fantastic reception.

“Thank you for welcoming us at your offices in Abuja and football is a unifying factor and we are indeed brothers.

“We will be accommodated at Dannic Hotel which is generally very good. We will inspect the training pitch and the venue of the actual match,” Nyirenda wrote in a mail to NFF’s Head of International, Mr. Bola Oyeyode.

The NFF has already guaranteed visa-on-arrival for the delegation, which will be flown to Calabar aboard Arik Air’s morning flight from Abuja to Calabar on Thursday.

Meanwhile, NFF President, Alhaji Aminu Maigari has insisted that the city of Calabar, capital of Cross River State is indeed very safe, and has always been very safe, for international

matches of all the various national teams.

Speaking at a brief interactive session with members of the Sports Writers Association of Nigeria, FCT chapter, on Wednesday afternoon, Maigari applauded the efforts of Governor Liyel Imoke of Cross River State and his administration in hosting the Super Eagles and the U-17

national team, Golden Eaglets in their various competitive international matches for the past one-and-half years.

“The Government and people of Cross River State deserve nothing but high commendation for their generosity and hospitality. They have continued to be good and great hosts for the Super Eagles and the Golden Eaglets.

“On our part, the NFF has perfected all arrangements to host a hitch-free World Cup qualifying match, and we are assuring the Government and people of Nigeria that our Super Eagles are adequately prepared to achieve victory against Malawi on Saturday,” said Maigari.

Nigeria need only a draw in Saturday’s clash at the U. J. Esuene Stadium to progress into the 10-team final elimination round of the African series for the 2014 FIFA World Cup finals in Brazil.