Apart from having launched a FIFA World Cup finals as far back as 1930, with several growth indices and crucibles over the decades and so much to talk about its administrators, players, referees, coaches and indeed other workers, football has become such a monster (in a manner of speaking, that is) that swallows everyone. In our dear country and indeed other countries, it is a terrific passion.
Football matches have a massive atmosphere and ambience about them, and more so when rivalry is involved. When Nigeria play Ghana, it can be likened to when Brazil play Argentina. You can also look at England vs Germany in Europe, or Japan vs Korea Republic in Asia.
In the first leg of the 10th All-Africa Games qualifying match between the National U-23 team, Dream Team, and the Black Meteors of Ghana, played at the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium, Benin City on Saturday, 25th June, the Ghanaians scored first. Their approach to the match was war-like, with the mentality of the yam-pounder. Days before, there had been complaints of inadequate feeding and poor practice pitch by the Ghanaian delegation, which the NFF and the Edo State government promptly addressed.
However, the Ghanaian officials and players did not convey to the Ghanaian public the correction and adjustments that were made by the NFF and Edo State government, and the feeling of ill-treatment of the team persisted in the former Gold Coast.
It was in this context that the return leg match took place in Kumasi last Sunday.
On our part at the Nigeria Football Federation, we had no illusions as to what we had on hand and that informed the arrangements that were made. Our officials were on the GFA to inform us of the date, venue and time of the match but we did not have an idea until the mandatory 10 days before, when we were told the game would take place at the Baba Yara Sports Stadium, Kumasi on Sunday, 10th July.
Well informed of African football intrigues and schooled by the manner of the elimination of our National Women’s team, Super Falcons by the Black Queens of Ghana from the All-Africa Women’s Football Tournament (at the El-Wak Stadium, Accra when a last-minute penalty helped the Ghanaians to a 2-1 win), we planned for the second leg involving the men with every seriousness it deserved. We did not have so much money but when the GFA told us there was no way to fly our boys from Accra to Kumasi on Friday (two days before the match), we knew we had to charter an aircraft.
That was how we came about the Air Nigeria aircraft that flew the team to Kumasi direct. The rules say you cannot transport a visiting team by road once the distance is superior to 200 kilometres. The distance between Accra and Kumasi is 300 kilometres. But here, should the GFA continue to insist there was no way they could get an aircraft to fly the team, it would become a bother.
The NFF also sent an advance team of two officers, who contacted the Ghana Football Association and the Nigeria High Commission in Accra before setting off for Kumasi on Thursday, 7th July. The duo, alongside the Minister-Counsellor of the Nigeria High Commission, Mr. Andrew Idi, did not arrive in Kumasi until late in the night.
