FIFA inspection team arrives Nigeria today

The Nigeria football community will today receive a five-man inspection team from world–football governing body, FIFA. The officials of FIFA are coming on a four-day inspection tour of facilities and equipment the country is putting forward in its bid to host the 10th FIFA U20 Women’s World Cup championship next year.

According to the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), the team will be made up of Christopher Exley, Sara Jane Booth, Kliment Taseski, Rhiannon Ceirwen Martin and Heyral Kaj Jurgen.

The federation revealed that the team will be received at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport this evening by NFF President, Amaju Melvin Pinnick, First Vice President, Seyi Akinwunmi, General Secretary, Dr. Mohammed Sanusi, and the federation’s executive committee member and Chairman of the Nigeria Women Football League, Aisha Falode, as well as top officials of the Lagos State Sports Commission, led by the Executive Chairman, Dr. Kweku Tandoh.
 
Nigeria wants to host the 16-nation competition in Lagos, Benin City, Asaba and Uyo. According to the itinerary, tomorrow, the team will visit the Onikan Stadium (match venue), St. Nicholas Hospital and Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (referral hospitals), Teslim Balogun Stadium, National Stadium Legacy Pitch, Eagle Club, Campos Square and the University of Lagos Sports Centre (training sites), before a courtesy call on Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu at the Government House in Alausa.
 
Joined by NFF’s Pinnick, Sanusi, Mainasara Illo (Coordinator of the Bid), Falode, Commissioner of Police, Garba Baba (security) and Dr. Paul Onyeudo (medical), the team will fly to Benin City also tomorrow to inspect facilities at the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium (match venue), Western Boys College and University of Benin Sports Centre (training sites) and the Edo Specialist Hospital and University of Benin Teaching Hospital (referral hospitals).
 
“The contingent will check out the facilities in Asaba and Uyo on Wednesday. In Asaba, the Stephen Keshi Stadium is the proposed match venue, while training sites are Asaba Squash Courts and St. Patrick’s College. The referral hospitals are St. Luke’s Hospital and Asaba General Hospital.
 
“In Uyo, the focus will be on the Godswill Akpabio Stadium (match venue), Ikot Ekpene Stadium and Godswill Akpabio Training Pitch (training sites) and Ibom Specialist Hospital and University of Uyo Teaching Hospital (referral hospitals),” the NFF said in a statement. 

On Thursday, it will be Abuja’s turn to host the inspectors, who will meet with the Permanent Secretary in the Federal Ministry of Youth and Sports, Mr. Olusade Adesola, and also pay a courtesy call on Vice President Yemi Osinbajo at the Presidential Villa, the statement added.