U-23 Eagles' Camp Burgled; As Nigeria Draw With Liberia In Olympic Qualifier

Reports from Monrovia say Nigeria’s U-23 Eagles’ camp was burgled yesterday when the squad were doing battle in an Olympic qualifying match against the Liberian team.

The Nigerian team played 1-1 draw with Liberia in the first leg second round match before they discovered that their bags had been looted by some hoodlums who broke into their dressing room.

Image Maker of Nigeria’s U-23 Eagles, …..said “some disgruntled Liberians broke into the locker room of our team and stole some valuables belonging to the players.

“Two of our players, Daniel Uchechi of Leicester City lost his Blackberry phone while Edet Ibok’s reserve booth was missing in his bag”.

It was however sadness with joy for Uchechi, who scored for Nigeria in the 1-1 draw against the Liberian Olympic team. “ Oh my goodness, I can’t believe this after all this hardship they put us through before the match, they still have the heart to rob us” Uchechi lamented on discovering that his blackberry had been stolen.

“Just as all of us in the contingent was stuuned, Ibok was speechless when his booth was missing after the encounter. An angry coach Austin Eguavoen of Nigeria also poured out his mind over the harsh treatment given to his team since their arrival to Monrovia,” the image maker said.

On the match, Eguavoen, while speaking to the Liberian press, lamented: “ I am not happy with the Liberia Football Federation. It’s a shame that in this advance stage of the game, African countries can still pull such antics.

“When we arrived they left my team stranded at the airport for three hours, transported us to the hotel in a no ventilation bus as if that was not enough they dumped us in a Hotel without power and delayed meals leaving my players to sleep on the floor at afternoon because of heat and then this race course they call a pitch”

He however assured that Nigeria will qualify for the next round of the All Africa games by beating Liberia convincingly. Leicester’s Uchechi opened scoring for Nigeria in the 33rd minute from the spot while Johnson Samuel’s header in the 63rd minute drew Liberia level.