The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has refuted claims of involvement in the delayed arrival of the South African delegation for the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifier against the Super Eagles in Uyo.
The South African contingent, scheduled to depart Johannesburg at 8 am on Wednesday, encountered a delay of five hours before their chartered flight finally departed. This setback affected their travel arrangements, resulting in an overnight stay in Port Harcourt before arriving in Uyo on Thursday morning.
Emmanuel Ayanbunmi, the NFF’s protocol chief, clarified the federation’s stance, stating, “The problem has nothing to do with the NFF. At the time they said they were taking off, it took them a further five hours to actually depart from South Africa. We were not informed.”
According to Ayanbunmi, the NFF had coordinated with relevant agencies in Lagos to facilitate immigration formalities upon the delegation’s arrival. However, the South African team only informed Nigerian authorities shortly before landing that their landing rights were for Port Harcourt International Airport, not the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMA) in Lagos.
“We had to quickly get in touch with officials of NMS and other agencies in Port Harcourt and mobilise people to ensure smooth formalities for them,” Ayanbunmi added.
The NFF maintains that they had taken proactive measures to assist the South African delegation and ensure a seamless process upon their arrival in Nigeria.
