Nigeria reject Ghana hotel

The Nigerian U-23 team opted to stay in a different hotel from the one their Ghanaian hosts had made available to them when they arrived in Kumasi on Friday.

The Dream Team V play the Black Meteors on Sunday in the second leg of the final round of the qualifiers for the All Africa Games with the visitors holding a 3-1 advantage from the first leg in Benin two weeks ago.

The Nigerian contingent, consisting of 20 players, the coaches, Nigeria Football Federation officials and members of the Nigerian Football Supporters’ Club, flew straight from Lagos to Kumasi in a chartered Air Nigeria flight and arrived the Ghanaian city around 4.50pm.

But instead of heading to the Ceeta Kel Hotel which had been reserved for them by the Ghanaian FA, the players and coaches were instead taken to the classier Sports Hotel, which is just opposite the Baba Yara Stadium, venue of the clash.

A Nigerian High Commission official, who was apparently in given the job of ensuring that the players were well treated, said alternative arrangements had to be made just hours before the contingent’s arrival when he inspected Ceeta Kel and found it not to be up to standard. The embassy official was further irked because the Ghanaian team stayed at the swank Golden Tulip, reputed to be Ghana’s best hotel chain.

While the players and coaches stayed at Sport Hotel, the rest of the contingent lodged at Ceeta Kel, just a few metres away.

The Ghanaians had complained about the way they were treated in Benin two weeks ago, but NFF Chief Media Officer, Ademola Olajire, refused to comment on the poor quality accommodation, insisting that his organization would not be drawn into complaining.