Congo play hide-and- seek with Nigeria

Nigeria Football Federation has been compelled to report its Congolese counterpart to the Confederation of African Football following the East Africans refusal to disclose their travel plans for Saturday’s 2015 African Nations Cup qualifier against the Super Eagles in Calabar.

On Tuesday, NFF head of international department, Bola Oyeyode, informed CAF about the strange silence of the Congolese, after which the Congolese Federation forwarded a terse message about its “advance party” arriving in Nigeria on Wednesday and in need of visa on arrival.

“We are surprised at the attitude of the Congolese FA. Their officials have kept silence all along, refusing to give us details of their travel plans, only for them to request visa-on-arrival for their advance party which they stated would arrive in Nigeria on Wednesday,” africanFootball.com quoted Oyeyode as saying on the matter.

“They gave no details of which persons constitute the advance party and no passport details. In any event, we have written to CAF to say we cannot arrange visa-on-arrival for them as we have no details, and moreover, there is an Embassy of Nigeria in Brazzaville. They should secure their visas before coming to Nigeria.”

The Congolese, who won the Africa Cup of Nations in Cameroon 42 years ago, were restored to the campaign after losing on penalty shoot –out to Rwanda following CAF’s disqualification of Rwanda for using an ineligible player.