Confed Cup: Heartland Approaches NFF To Appeal To CAF

Heartland FC will ask the Nigeria Football Federation, NFF to help them appeal to the Confederation of African Football over the walkover awarded to Gabon’s US Bitam at the weekend.

The Owerri side only departed for their Confederation Cup tie in Gabon an hour before the game was due to kick off.

They claimed that visa and flight hitches forced them to leave Lagos late.

Heartland continued with their travel plans expecting the game to be played on Sunday in the interests of fairplay but say there was no one from the Gabon FA or US Bitam to welcome when they arrived.

Heartland spokesman Cajetan Nkwopara said that they hope the walkover decision will be overturned by Caf.

“The club (US Bitam) desperately wanted to capitalise on a walk-over decision because they were aware of our plights,” he explained.

“We’ve approached the NFF and they will intervene and make a case on our behalf with Caf.”

Elsewhere Libya staged a Caf club match for the first time since Muammar Gaddafi was overthrown as supporters watched hosts Al Nasr go out of the Confederation Cup after a 1-1 draw with FAR Rabat of Morocco.

The security-related ban on Libyan national teams and clubs playing at home was lifted last month after a four-day fact-finding mission by a Caf delegation to the oil-rich north African country.

Al Nasr from eastern city Benghazi were the first to benefit from the decision as they looked to overcome a 1-0 first-leg defeat by 2005 Confederation Cup winners, FAR Rabat three weeks ago.

Home hopes rose when Cameroonian Edet Otobong put Al Nasr ahead on 71 minutes. Youssef Kaddioui then silenced the 10,000 crowd by equalising for FAR. The match finished 1-1 with FAR going through 2-1 on aggregate.

Cairo-based Caf officials will have watched developments closely as Libya is scheduled to host the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations in capital Tripoli, second city Benghazi and Misrata, scene of bitter fighting during the revolt two years ago.