SAN FRANCISCO, November 17, (THEWILL) – There was an issue of protocols at the Sierra Leone International Airport in Lungi when the Nigerian delegation arrived in their chartered aircraft at about 12:15 PM local time. The Sierra Leonean immigration officials insisted that the Nigerian players and officials must undergo COVID-19 tests right at the airport.
Ademola Olajire, Director of Communications at the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) disclosed this hiccup in a statement on Monday.
Olajire explained that upon arrival, players and officials were received by the Charge d’Affaires of Nigeria High Commission to Sierra Leone, Sona Charles, the Consular, Paul Alabi, and some members of the Sierra Leone Football Association.
Everything was going according to schedule and the delegation was ready to be ferried to their accommodations in Freetown before the insistence of the immigration personnel on immediate tests for the coronavirus.
“This was even after evidence was provided by the Nigerian team that all delegation members did the tests and all returned negative just hours before boarding their flight in Benin City,” Olajire disclosed.
THEWILL has earlier reported that all Super Eagles’ players and staff returned negative results for the virus before jetting out of the country.
“Top officials from the Nigeria High Commission and the Leader of Delegation, Ibrahim Gusau, tried to convince the Sierra Leonean immigration officials.
”They tried to make them understand that the results obtained a few hours earlier were sufficient for the delegation members to enter into Freetown, prosecute the match and return to Nigeria.
”But this failed to sway the officials.
“Further pleas to allow the players and officials to leave the airport and for Sierra Leone to send medical officials to conduct the tests at the team hotel fell on deaf ears.
“After the tests, the players and officials boarded the ferry and eventually arrived at the Radisson Blu Hotel in Freetown just before 3PM local time (4PM in Nigeria),” Olajire said.
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.
