Bolivia opts out of international friendly match against Nigeria which was billed to hold at the Akwa Ibom International Stadium

The Bolivia Football Federation on Tuesday called off next Thursday’s international friendly game against Nigeria which was billed to hold at the Akwa Ibom International Stadium. The Bolivians cited the fear of Islamic terrorist group Boko Haram and the tension generated by the general elections as the reasons for pulling out.

The president of the Bolivia federation, Carlos Chavez, said at a press conference in the eastern city of Santa Cruz that the FBF did not bow to the wish of national team coach, Mauricio Soria, who wanted the match cancelled because of the distance between Nigeria and Bolivia.

Soria had requested last week that the Bolivia-Nigeria clash should be cancelled because the trip would last five days but Chavez had rejected it. He,however, bowed to other pressures.

He said, “The armed conflict in Nigeria and the tense political situation forced the cancellation of the game.”

The Nigeria Football Federation confirmed the development. An official told The PUNCH that the federation was shopping for a quick replacement.

He said, “The federation will make official statement soon. Everything was done right; the contract intact and so the Bolivian position is coming as a surprise to us and, I believe, FIFA. In the next 24 hours we will definitely take a bold steps.”

Chavez expects there will be no financial penalty for breach of contract signed by Full Play and FIFA agent who organised the fixture, Colombian Jairo Pachon.

The NFF officials are however looking at the legal implications of the Bolivian decision.

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About Unknown

Deji Sadiq, a.k.a DEJI OF LAGOS is a LASU trained Economist turned freelance journalist, a Blogger, an information strategist, a public affairs analyst and a committed activist with a passion for equal opportunities.