By Harry Awurumibe, Editor, Abuja Bureau
With Nigeria already drawn to play host country, Egypt in the opening match of the 2024 Amputee Football African Cup of Nations (AFCON) on April 19 at Al Salam Stadium in Cairo, Egypt, Nigeria’s team may not participate in the competition due to lack of needed funds to embark on the trip.
The tournament in Egypt which will serve as the qualifiers for the Amputee World Cup finals in 2026 in Morocco is also very important to Nigeria as withdrawal from the competition will attract heavy sanctions which will be imposed on the country by the Confederation of African Amputee Football (CAAF).
The Nigerian team tagged Special Eagles which won Silver and Bronze medals in the same competition in 2019 and 2002 may not fly the Nigerian flag in Egypt because the Nigeria Amputee Football Federation (NAFF) has no money to embark on the trip despite the team’s readiness for the competition.
President of the federation Chief Paul Maduakor has therefore cried out to well meaning Nigerians and corporate bodies to come to the aid of the amputee football team which is currently in camp in Lagos, saying that any donation towards the tournament will be appreciated by the federation.
The President who said he is still making frantic efforts to source for funds to sponsor the Nigerian team to Cairo also said in Abuja on Wednesday that the federation is working round the clock to ensure that Nigerian amputee footballers who are working hard to prepare are not disappointed. READ ALSO:
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No fewer than 16 nations will take part in the tournament which will hold from April 19 to 28. Nigeria is in Group A with Egypt, Cameroon and Burundi.
Group B has Morocco, Liberia, Uganda and Senegal while Group C has Ghana, Kenya, Gambia and Algeria and Group D comprises Angola, Tanzania, Sierra Leone and Rwanda.
