/ 13 March 2000

NIGERIA UNHAPPY WITH ANGOLAN WELCOME

DEFENDING Olympic champions Nigeria have complained to soccer’s world governing body Fifa about “shabby treatment” from Angola ahead of Saturday’s Olympic qualifying match in Luanda. “Our Olympic soccer team were given shabby treatment as the hosts provided them with inhabitable accommodation,” the Nigerian Football Association (NFA) said in a statement sent to Fifa on Thursday. “The team were taken to a stadium hostel which is below the standard contained in Fifa’s rule on accommodation for visiting teams. We want Fifa to intervene in the matter although we have checked our team into a standard hotel of our choice,” the statement added. The Nigerians are level on nine points with group A leaders Zimbabwe but trail on goal difference. The Angolans, third with six points, and Uganda complete the four-team group from which only one will qualify.