The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) will not change the venue for September’s 2014 Fifa World Cup qualifier against Malawi.
The Football Association of Malawi (FAM) lodged a written complaint to the world football governing body, Fifa seeking for a change in the venue of the clash, Calabar.
The Malawians claim Calabar is not safe and will want the game moved to an alternative venue.
The NFF has now insisted that the choice of Calabar as venue for the game stands.
“I was surprised when the Malawians raised an alarm over the choice of Calabar as venue for the game. This is a city where such games have been played in the past so the arguments they have raised holds no water,” NFF President, Alhaji Aminu Maigari exclusively told supersport.com.
Meanwhile, Nigeria’s Inspector-General of Police, Mohammed Abubakar has dispatched a detailed security guarantee and comprehensive plan for security for the game.
The letter to Fifa guaranteed that the Nigeria Police “will provide adequate security to ensure a conducive environment before, during and after the match between Nigeria and Malawi scheduled for 7th September, 2013 at the U. J. Esuene Stadium, Calabar, Cross River State”.
The guarantee further explained that apart from routine police lead escorts and back-up vehicles for both teams and match officials from point of arrival to point of departure, all hotels and training grounds to be used would be adequately fortified.
Anti-bomb squads would be also deployed to sweep and maintain all hotels and training pitches; anti-bomb squad would sweep and secure the entire stadium along with Police elite squad (Police Mobile Force/Counter Terrorist Unit).
In addition, adequate security would be provided on match day in the entire vicinity of the stadium and hotels of teams and match officials and; there would be police escorts for teams and match officials to and from stadium on match day, among other measures.
FIFA had written to the Nigeria Football Federation on Monday to provide a letter of security guarantee from the appropriate authority in Nigeria as well as a detailed security plan for the qualifying match.
The Malawians claim Calabar is not safe and will want the game moved to an alternative venue.
The NFF has now insisted that the choice of Calabar as venue for the game stands.
“I was surprised when the Malawians raised an alarm over the choice of Calabar as venue for the game. This is a city where such games have been played in the past so the arguments they have raised holds no water,” NFF President, Alhaji Aminu Maigari exclusively told supersport.com.
Meanwhile, Nigeria’s Inspector-General of Police, Mohammed Abubakar has dispatched a detailed security guarantee and comprehensive plan for security for the game.
The letter to Fifa guaranteed that the Nigeria Police “will provide adequate security to ensure a conducive environment before, during and after the match between Nigeria and Malawi scheduled for 7th September, 2013 at the U. J. Esuene Stadium, Calabar, Cross River State”.
The guarantee further explained that apart from routine police lead escorts and back-up vehicles for both teams and match officials from point of arrival to point of departure, all hotels and training grounds to be used would be adequately fortified.
Anti-bomb squads would be also deployed to sweep and maintain all hotels and training pitches; anti-bomb squad would sweep and secure the entire stadium along with Police elite squad (Police Mobile Force/Counter Terrorist Unit).
In addition, adequate security would be provided on match day in the entire vicinity of the stadium and hotels of teams and match officials and; there would be police escorts for teams and match officials to and from stadium on match day, among other measures.
FIFA had written to the Nigeria Football Federation on Monday to provide a letter of security guarantee from the appropriate authority in Nigeria as well as a detailed security plan for the qualifying match.
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