Sports247.ng has learnt that Nigeria’s team is set to travel in batches to the Amputee Football World Cup on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday.
This was disclosed by coordinator of the team’s fund raising campaign, Fred Edoreh, who said difficulties of funding and flight scheduling have accounted for the team having to leave to Mexico in batches.
Edoreh, the immediate past chairman of Lagos State chapter of Sports Writers Association of Nigeria (Lagos SWAN) said the team aim to do better than Angola, Kenya and Ghana, who all represented Africa at the 2014 Amputee Football World Cup, also in Mexico.
During that edition in Culiacán Cuty, Angola finished as runners-up after losing 3-1 to Russia in the final, but Edoreh believes Nigeria’s Special Eagles can go one better, owing to growing support they are receiving at home and abroad.
The team has missed the last three World Cups due to a lack of finances, but Edoreh is optimistic that the story will be different this year, as has already been envisaged with their flight arrangements on course.
Edoreh said: “Time is running out on us and with ticket costs increasing by the day towards our opening game against our budget, we are taking the hard decisions of sending the first team as first batch.
“This is to avoid heavier cost and also get the boys to settle down before the game against Brazil on Sunday.
“The first batch of eight players and coach should have left on Tuesday but there were not enough seats on the last lap of the journey, from Mexico City to Guadalajara.
“Our travel agents are working to secure space for them by Wednesday. So they are expected to depart Lagos by 12 noon with Ethiopia Airlines.
“This will help us to secure our presence and avoid a global sanction. Hoping with additional funds, the reserve team can depart on Thursday or Friday.”
