The Nigerian Football Federation (NFF) has slammed the rumor-making round that the international regulating body of football FIFA has banned the Moshood Abiola Stadium in Abuja from hosting any match. Following the skirmishes that broke out during the qualifier match played by the Nigerian Super Eagle and the Black Stars of Ghana that lead to a near stampede at the end of the game, some mischief makers went ahead to spread the rumor that the World regulating body of football, FIFA has banned all fixtures at the MKO stadium. The rumor also claimed that the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) machine was also stolen by the hoodlums that went on a rampage.
However, the NFF has yesterday said in a statement that it has not received any correspondence from either FIFA or CAF to that effect and therefore the ban only existed in the imagination of the fake news purveyors.
NFF also denied the claim that the VAR machine was stolen, saying that their machines are all intact, and have been returned to FIFA in good condition.
The statement partly reads; “The Nigeria Football Federation has decried a stream of incorrect reports being peddled in sections of the media, in connection with Tuesday’s FIFA World Cup playoff match between Nigeria and Ghana at the Moshood Abiola National Stadium, Abuja,” read the statement by Mohammed Sanusi, the NFF secretary-general.
“We are alarmed at the influx of incorrect reports, otherwise known as fake news, mostly on social media. There is no truth to the reports that the Moshood Abiola National Stadium, Abuja has been banned for any length of time by FIFA. It is a concoction by some persons with a fertile imagination. The NFF has not received any such communication from either FIFA or CAF.
The statement continued, “There has also been an outlandish report that the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) equipment that was installed for the match had been stolen. We initially thought this was an April fool prank but it is alarming that some media outlets are taking it seriously. Nothing of such happened. The VAR equipment remains intact and has been returned to the FIFA office in Zurich, Switzerland by Sebastian Runge, FIFA’s Head of Technology.
Meanwhile, it concludes that “The NFF understands that Nigerians in their generality were sorely disappointed by the result of the match, which came short of having the Super Eagles at the World Cup. It is a painful situation for everyone, including ourselves at the Federation. However, we are appealing that the propensity for half-truths and outright falsehood be discouraged. We believe that the present squad of Super Eagles is still capable of achieving great things.”
