Ahead FIFA
U-20 Women World Cup
Players allege bias in team selection
THE GUARDIAN
By Gowon Akpodowor and Folake Olujimi
ALL may not be well with Nigeria's female U-20 team, the Super
Falconets, as there are allegations that the team's officials
selected players that were ready to give monetary incentives.
The Falconets, who are currently involved in the African qualifier
for the FIFA World Cup, were held to a 1-1 draw by their Liberian
counterparts, last weekend.
It was learnt yesterday that players who, based on their current
form and pedigree ought to be selected, were left out of the team
because they were not ready to part with money.
According to the source, the coaches who were appointed by the
acting secretary general of the Nigeria Football Association (NFA),
Fanny Amun, are allegedly forcing the players to part with money
before being called to camp.
It was learnt that those who could not meet the financial demands of
the coaches have been blacklisted from the Falconets' camp at the
Airforce base, Lagos, on the ground that they did not meet training
requirements.
Contacted on phone yesterday, the head coach of the Falconets,
Emmanuel Tetteh, was said to be busy with the players in training at
the Airforce base, Lagos.
However, another member of the technical crew, coach Eucharia
Uche-Obiajunwa, denied having any knowledge of money exchanging
hands between the players and any of the coaches.
Said Obiajunwa: "I don't think the allegation is true. But I can
only speak for myself."
Meanwhile, Uche-Obiajunwa has blamed the hard turf in Liberia for
their 1-1 draw last weekend.
According to her, the turf was hard and the Liberia Football
Association did not inform the team so as to prepare for such a
turf.
"The turf where we played the match was too hard and our girls did
not prepare for it.
"We thought we were going to Monrovia to meet the normal turf which
we were used to but when we got there, it was a totally different
one.
"Even in my playing days, we never played on such turf. Also,
Liberia did not inform us so that we can prepare ourselves for it.
"Going by FIFA's regulation, they ought to have informed us but all
the same, the match has been played and we are happy that we did not
lose it," she said.
|
|
