Rain stops Dream Team, Vijana Stars

Posted by admin Headlines Saturday, June 18th, 2011

A heavy downpour in the ancient city of Benin on Saturday evening aborted the 2012 Olympic Games qualifying match between Nigeria and Tanzania, billed for the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium.

The match could not hold as the rain that began half an hour to kick-off rendered the turf unfit for a football match, and the Match Commissioner, Emmanuel Zombre from Burkina Faso, had no choice other than to call off the game after waiting for one hour for the pitch to improve.

The rain started even as the National U-23 team, Dream Team, and their Tanzanian counterparts, Vijana Stars were having the usual pre-match warm-up, and fans went home in disappointment over the no-show.

Mr. Zombre promptly contacted the offices of world football-governing body, FIFA in company of the Senegalese referees, and it was decided that the match should be shifted to Sunday. But a decision on the time of the match will be taken at 9am on Sunday after consultations with meteorologists.

NFF President Aminu Maigari is in Benin alongside Executive Committee members Chris Green, Shehu Adamu, Felix Anyansi-Agwu, Olaleye Adepoju and Ahmed Yusuf and a number of Management staff of the NFF.

However, the Nigeria Football Federation has declared that the gates would be thrown open on Sunday, for fans to come cheer the Dream Team to victory. Tanzania won the first leg 1-0 in Dar es Salaam two weeks ago.

The winner of the fixture will qualify for an eight-nation mini-tournament in one of the qualified countries in December, to determine which three countries would qualify for the Olympic Games in London next year summer, while the fourth-placed team plays off against an Asian team.

-KickoffNigeria.comwp_posts