World Cup Playoff is ‘Serious Business’, Pinnick Tells Eagles as Team Depart for Kumasi

Olawale Ajimotokan

As Super Eagles get set to depart the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja this morning aboard a chartered Air Peace flight for Ghana to take on the Black Stars on Friday evening, President of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) and Member of the FIFA Council, Mr Amaju Melvin Pinnick, insisted yesterday that the federation is taking the two-legged World Cup playoffs as “very serious business.”

Pinnick further insisted that everything legal and acceptable is being done for Nigeria to achieve victory and qualify for Qatar 2022.

At a meeting with some Members of the NFF Executive Committee and Management inside the NFF Secretariat on Wednesday, Pinnick admitted that the World Cup playoff fixture is a ‘war’ and must be approached with utmost commitment, focus and with zero tolerance for tardiness.

“Of course, we are not the ones going into the field. But the arrangements we put in place will, to a large extent, determine the spirit with which the players will enter the pitch. All our arrangements must be flawless and without sloppiness. It is a FIFA World Cup ticket at stake, so we must give it our all.   

“Whatever efforts we have been making to ensure seamless movement to and fro, as well as accommodation of our contingent at major matches, must be doubled for the match in Kumasi. Nigerians don’t want to hear any story; they only want to see the World Cup ticket,” he noted.

The NFF supremo made the statements while chairing a meeting that also included NFF Vice Presidents, Seyi Akinwunmi and Shehu Dikko; Dr Mohammed Sanusi (General Secretary); Executive Committee members Ibrahim Musa Gusau, Felix Anyansi-Agwu and Ahmed Yusuf; Charity Kadiri (Director of Finance and Administration); Ademola Olajire (Director of Media and Communications) and; Emmanuel Ayanbunmi (Chief Protocol Officer).

The Nigeria contingent will return to Abuja immediately after the match tomorrow night.