‘NFF Has Overcome Olympic Disappointment’

The 1st Vice President, Nigeria Football Federation, Seyi Akinwunmi, says he is at a loss over the failure of the U-23 men’s national team and the Super Falcons to qualify for this year’s Olympics in Japan, admitting his disappointment, while also adding that the NFF had moved on from the disappointment.
It will be an awkward situation for Nigerian football when the Olympics kick off in the far-east in July as the country’s U-23 male and female football teams failed to qualify for the football event of the quadrennial games.
Imama Amakpabo led the country’s U-23 team to an ill-fated AFCON campaign in Egypt, where they didn’t only fail to qualify for the last four after coming third behind South Africa and Ivory Coast in Group B, but also failed as reigning champions to successfully defend their title.
For the Falcons, a two-legged clash against the Ivorians saw them lost out on away goals after a goalless draw in the first leg in Abidjan was followed by a 1-1 draw in the return leg at the Agege Stadium, Lagos.
But, Akinwunmi is unfazed, insisting the federation is looking towards the future.
“I can’t tell you why we got it wrong. I can’t, I don’t know why, but I admit we had lots of factors that contributed to it. The issue is that it is a culmination of many things. It was tough administratively for us and economically too,’’ he said.