Rivers United: NFF should take full responsibility for making us play in Uyo instead of Portharcourt

Charles Mayuku, Media Officer for Rivers United FC has revealed how sheer incompetence and negligence by the Nigeria Football Federation means the club will play its upcoming CAF Confederation Cup group games in Uyo instead of their home ground in Portharcourt.

Mayuku, in a press statement detailed how the NFF failed to act on the letter from the Confederation of African Football (CAF) and how the choice of the Godswill Akpabio stadium in Uyo, Akwa Ibom state became the home ground of the Portharcourt-based side.

According to the press release, CAF wrote to the NFF via an email dated December 15, 2022.

‘That email requested the NFF to, between the 23rd and 27th of December 2022, carry out a routine inspection of the football pitch of the Adokiye Amiesimaka Stadium, Port Harcourt (home ground of Rivers United FC) ahead of the group stages of the CAF Confederation Cup.

The correspondence from CAF also requested for an alternate venue to be named by Rivers United FC. This is standard procedure for clubs participating in Inter CAF club competition.

Accordingly, the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium, Uyo was named by Rivers United FC as an alternate venue.

It is important to point out at this point that the NFF did not respond to CAF’s email and also did nothing as regards inspecting the Adokiye Amiesimaka Stadium as requested by CAF.

Rivers United was oblivious of all these at the time as CAF only deals with the national federation (in this case, the NFF, and not the clubs) in such matters.

On January 5, 2023, CAF, as a result of the failure of the NFF to provide any kind of response to its earlier correspondence, wrote again to the NFF stating that Rivers United FC had no venue to play its group stage matches.

Rivers United was consequently ordered to play her matches at the Moshood Abiola Stadium, Abuja.

It was at this point that Mr Nasiru Jibrin the facility officer of the Nff now contacted Rivers United giving the excuse that he too was not informed of the letter even when he was copied by CAF in the original email.

It is customary for CAF to always copy the facility officer of the NFF in such emails.

Jubrin then informed Rivers United FC that he would contact CAF, putting forward excuses which he claimed would allow the African Football Confederation to give a waiver which would enable him carry out a supplementary inspection of the Adokiye Amiesimaka Stadium.

He then asked Rivers United to take photos of the Stadium and pitch and forward to him as he was, at the time, in Algeria for duties related to the African Football Championships (CHAN) in Algeria.

A few days later, the NFF sent Mr. Aliyu Ibrahim (Ali) down to Port Harcourt and conducted another inspection of the Adokiye Amiesimaka Stadium, Port Harcourt and, subsequently, the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium, Uyo.

On further enquiry, we were very reliably informed that Mr Ali sent the photos he took at the Adokiye Amiesimaka Stadium, Port Harcourt to Jibrin who wrote a damning report of the facility in Port Harcourt.

CAF duly acted on Jubrin’s report and Rivers United was then ordered to play its Group Stage games of the 2022-23 CAF Confederation Cup at the alternate venue earlier picked – the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium, Uyo.

Nigerians can see through the statement being peddled by the NFF as nothing more than a cover up.

The NFF has since confirmed that they received the letters from CAF and didn’t act promptly and as at when due because of a Christmas break.’