Nigeria Vs Malawi: Flight Delay’ll Affect Eagles —Bassey

A member of the Nigeria Football Federation, NFF, Technical Committee, Paul Bassey, has said that the flight delay, which forced the Super Eagles to depart for Blantyre, Malawi early today, will definitely have an adverse effect on the performance of the players during the 2014 FIFA World Cup qualifying match tomorrow.

The Nigerian contingent was earlier billed to leave the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, aboard a chartered Air Jordan aircraft last night, but the airline had to cancel the flight due to safety concerns.

However, the team, that included 23 players, departed for Blantyre aboard the plane at about 6a.m. today with an estimated flight time of five and a half hours to Blantyre.

The veteran sports journalist, and former publisher, however, stated that a serious country will not toy with travel arrangements of her team few hours to such a crucial encounter.

Bassey noted that it was wrong for the team to leave 24 hours before a World Cup qualifying tie, adding that the team will have no time to acclimatize, which may affect the players’ psyche in the match.

He said there was no reason for the flight delay, insisting that the Eagles should have travelled days before tomorrow’s match.

Bassey said that as a CAF match commissioner, he knows what it entails to be at match venues a day before a tie, adding that it is a fact that it will take a long time before the players will get used to the new environment they will find themselves.

Meanwhile, former handler of the Nigerian team, Adegboye Onigbinde and ex-international, Tijani Babangida, have warned the team against underrating their opponents in tomorrow’s match.

Onigbinde, a former member of FIFA/CAF Technical Committee, advised the team not to look down on the Malawians because there are no minnows in football.

Babangida on his part noted that the Malawians will be going into tomorrow’s clash with the aim of frustrating the Eagles, having held the Harambee Stars of Kenya to a draw in Nairobi last weekend.

Meanwhile, leading telecoms operator, Globacom, has called on the Eagles to go for the three maximum points as they confront the national team of Malawi, the Flames on Saturday.

Globacom, in a press statement issued on Thursday advised Super Eagles to be prepared for a tough encounter as there are no minnows in African football again, adding that the Malawians will be battle-ready having picked an away point from their last match against Harambee Stars of Kenya in Nairobi.

“It’s going to be a crucial encounter from where the Eagles must emerge victorious to consolidate on their leadership position in the group,” the statement added.

By Adebobola  Alawode