Nigeria’s football team will arrive just 22 hours before their 2018 World Cup qualifier against Zambia after being delayed because of financial problems.
The players were supposed to leave the country today.
They are now expected to land in Zambia on Saturday afternoon, and only train once before facing Zambia on Sunday.
Amaju Pinnick, the head of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), told the sports committee of Nigeria’s senate that the NFF had difficulty paying for a charter flight and accommodation.
The NFF boss also confirmed that the country’s Europe-based players were ordered to buy their own flight tickets and fly economy to join the training camp in Nigeria’s capital, Abuja.
In August, Nigeria’s Olympic team only arrived hours before their first match because of transport difficulties.
