by Olorunwa Lawal

The Nigerian Football Federation has accused the Congolese Football Federation of playing hide-and-seek concerning its arrival for Saturday’s 2015 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier in Calabar.

The Federation, which has been compelled to report the Congolese to the Confederation of African Football (CAF), complained of refusal by the Red Devils to make available details of its travel plans.

NFF’s Head of International, Bola Oyeyode, brought CAF up to speed with the strange silence of the Congolese, after which the Congolese Federation forwarded a terse message about its ‘advance party’ arriving in Nigeria on Wednesday and in need of visa-on-arrival.

“We are surprised at the attitude of the Congolese FA. They have kept silence all along, refusing to give us details of their travel plans, only for them to be requesting visa-on-arrival for their advance party which they stated would arrive in Nigeria on Wednesday.

“They gave no details of which persons constitute the advance party and no passport details. In any event, we have written to CAF to say we cannot arrange visa-on-arrival for them as we have no details, and moreover, there is an Embassy of Nigeria in Brazzaville. They should secure their visas before coming to Nigeria,” Oyeyode said.

Saturday’s showdown at the U. J. Esuene Stadium is the first of six matches for each of the teams in seven groups of four teams in the qualifying series for the finals scheduled for Morocco early next year. The match kicks off at 4pm.

Nigeria last played Congo at the senior level in a group phase match of the 2000 Africa Cup of Nations. The game ended goalless.

Emmanuel Chidiogo