April 30, (THEWILL) – Rivers United Football Club, the current champions of the Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL), have suffered a major setback ahead of their second leg clash against Young Africans of Tanzania in the CAF Confederation Cup quarter-finals.
The team bus was reportedly burgled in Dar es Salam, with thieves making away with valuables worth thousands of dollars. The incident happened while the team was completing their final training session ahead of the game, with $5,250 stolen.
Not only was the bus broken into, it was also sprayed with toxic chemicals, an experience that understandably shook the Rivers United players and staff. CAF officials on the scene confirmed that a toxic chemical had indeed been sprayed in the bus, raising serious concerns about the safety and security of teams when travelling to different countries for football matches.
In response to the incident, Rivers United have petitioned CAF and are now waiting for further action from the continental football governing body. With the team facing an uphill battle in the quarterfinals, having lost the first leg 2-0 to Young Africans, they will need to regroup quickly to stand any chance of progressing to the semifinals.
This incident once again highlights the need for football governing bodies to take steps to ensure the safety and security of players and staff, both on and off the pitch.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
