The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) expressed outrage after a pre-match blunder marred the Super Eagles’ crucial World Cup qualifier against Benin Republic in Abidjan on Monday.
According to a press release issued by the NFF, the Benin Republic Football Federation made a grave error by playing the old Nigerian national anthem before kickoff. The NFF claims to have provided the correct recording of the new anthem at the Match Coordination Meeting held a day prior.
“We are deeply disappointed by this oversight,” stated NFF’s Head of International Competitions, Dayo Enebi Achor. “We ensured the Benin FA authorities had the new anthem, yet they played the wrong one. We strongly protested this disrespect and insisted the Super Eagles would not take the field for the second half until the proper anthem was played.”
While the final score of 2-1 suggests a narrow defeat for the Super Eagles, the NFF implies a potential link between the anthem issue and the on-field performance. The press release conspicuously avoids any mention of the game itself, leaving room for speculation about the team’s morale and focus being disrupted by the pre-match controversy.
This incident adds another layer of frustration to Nigeria’s precarious World Cup qualification campaign. They currently sit in fifth place in Group C with only three points from four games.
Coach Finidi George faces mounting pressure, and questions will undoubtedly be raised about his tactics and player selection. Nigerian fans, already disappointed with the team’s recent form, have taken to social media to voice their concerns.
