The team departed Lagos at about 10:30 am Nigerian time and got into Madrid at 4:30 Nigerian time, only to be told by officials of Iberia Airways that they have missed their flight to Lima, which had left earlier in the day, thus forcing the team to put up at the Madrid Airport, since they had only airport transit visas and could not be checked into any hotel in the city.
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Provision was however made for the team’s meal in the airport by officials of Iberia and later in the night players and officials moved to an arranged lounge were they put up and had light refreshments before going to bed.
On hearing of the development, NFF President Aminu Maigari put a phone call through the team psychologist Dr Robinson Okosun to Head Coach Stephen Keshi, to charge the players not to be deterred by events that almost truncated the international friendly.
Keshi relayed same to his players who vowed that they are now more determined than before to put up a show in Lima, when they confront Peru on Wednesday.
“My only worry is that the players would not have had enough rest when we get to Lima, which is over 11 hours from Madrid, but I trust my players to give it the best shot on match day”, Keshi said.
Super Eagles’ much publicised trip to Lima, Peru, for an interrnational friendly was delayed on Saturday by the arrest of a drug suspect by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), aboard an Iberia Airliner in Lagos.
The airline then announced that the pilot of the plane has said that he could not fly again, due to international regulations, thus aborting the national team’s trip to Peru on Saturday night.
Culled:dailytimesnigeria
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