Eagles’ First Choice Hotel Not Good Enough – Lulu 2010 W/Cup

Nigeria’s first choice hotel as team base in South Africa for the 2010 World Cup was not up to standard, Sani Lulu, the Nigeria Football Federation, (NFF) President admitted in Lagos early in the week.

Lulu made the admission at a seminar for the World Cup-bound Nigerian journalists held at the Teslim Balogun Stadium, Surulere, Lagos.

The first choice hotel of the Eagles, Hampshire Hotel, was dumped late last week after it failed to meet the April 28 deadline for completion of all specified requirements.

A high-powered Nigerian delegation led by sports minister, Ibrahim Bio, went to South Africa for a final inspection and dropped the Hampshire Hotel in Balito, opting for the Protea Waterfront Hotel in Richards Bay.

Lulu, who expressed gratitude to the Federal Government for coming to the aid of the federation in changing the hotel, said the government felt the country needed the best.

He said the government’s endorsement of the new hotel showed that it was prepared to provide added comfort and extra security for the Nigerian team while in South Africa.

“The government wanted better option than Hampshire Hotel. We insisted on better environment,’’ he added.

He said the choice of team hotels was usually the prerogative of team coaches, adding that Hampshire Hotel was chosen after Nigeria’s qualification for 2010 on Novermber 14  2009 and the draws for the championship that followed in Decemebr.

He said erstwhile coach of the Eagles, Shaibu Amodu and South Africa-based former Nigerian goalkeeper, Peterside Idah, chose the Hampshire Hotel.

Amodu’s successor, Lars Lagerback was not satisfied with the hotel’s standard during an inspection in March.

He explained that the federation’s problems with accommodation followed FIFA’s  decision to provide money to national federations in lieu of hotels as was

practised in the past.

He said the NFF had complained that the 400 dollars daily for each official delegation member provided by the world football body was not enough.

Nigeria will pay a fine of 125,000 dollars for the accommodation

cancellation, a decision the sports minister said was a compromise for the 250,000 dollars, which Hampshire had insisted.

Bio had said the Hampshire owners failed to carry out their side of the deal as they failed to complete the work on schedule.

Media reports in February that the Hampshire Hotel was substandard, led to the series of inspections and last week’s cancellation by sports minister Bio.