×
  • Sports - Football - All Teams
  • Updated: March 31, 2021

REPORTER’S DIARY: At Nigeria vs Lesotho AFCON Qualifying Match In Lagos, Journalists Dishonoured, High Risk Of COVID-19 Spread, Hoarded Tickets At Inflated Prices

REPORTER’S DIARY: At Nigeria vs Lesotho AFCON Qualifying M

Fans outside one of the two entrance gates of the Teslim Balogun Stadium, Surulere, Lagos, eager to see the Super Eagles in action versus Lesotho [Photo Credit: @OfficialDrkelly/Twitter]

The Super Eagles of Nigeria made a winning return to Lagos, at the Teslim Balogun Stadium, Surulere, with a comfortable 3-0 victory over the Crocodiles of Lesotho in a dead-rubber Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifying match on Tuesday.

Goals from Napoli of Italy’s Victor Osimhen, Galatasaray of Turkey's Oghenekaro Etebo and Genk of Belgium’s Paul Onuachu ensured Gernot Rohr’s men finished the qualification campaign unbeaten with 14 points from six games.

Before Tuesday’s game, the three-time African champions already qualified for the continental tournament that'll be staged in Cameroon from January to February 2022, but the Lagos State Government magnified the contest, and Rohr fielded a strong starting 11 featuring the likes of former Arsenal man who is now with Everton, Alex Iwobi; FC Porto’s Zaidu Sanusi; Leicester City duo of Wilfred Ndidi and ‘Senior Man’, Kelechi Iheanacho; and Villarreal of Spain’s Samuel Chukwueze.

It was a good show for the ecstatic Lagos fans, who are seeing most of these crop of Super Eagles stars for probably the first time live, but that couldn't mask the benighted situations noticed by this reporter at the Teslim Balogun Stadium.

Despite continuance of COVID-19, Lagos fans packed like sardines at Stadium gates

Since at least there hours prior to kick-off, a crowd of people who came to watch the Nigeria versus Lesotho game were packed like sardines, standing so close together that they cannot move easily.

COVID-19, the contagious disease which can be transmitted through contact routes has killed well over two million people globally. In Nigeria, 2,000+ deaths have been attributed to the Coronavirus disease.

Crowd at Teslim Balogun Stadium

Still, the football fans who came exhibited disregard for the disease.

Adherence to physical distancing was not helped by the coordination at the entry. Before I gained entrance in, people hardly maintain a queue. And the service dogs were persistently used by the bouncers to scare away the fans with tickets who want to go in. The use of the dogs by security guards on cooperative fans and stakeholders caused a slight commotion. Everything was just rowdy.

Godwin Enakhena ‘fought for’ Sports journalists after ‘ignorant’ Bouncers say there's nothing like media accreditation card

I was handed my press accreditation card by Ademola Olajire, the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) Director of Communications at some minutes past 2 PM. Some of my colleagues as well.

Nigeria match vs Lesotho

Ridwan Yusuf’s Press Pass

The press card/press-pass attests that one is a professional journalist. It facilitates access to the sports arcades and events.

But the bouncers at the entrance gate thinks otherwise - despite being told these facts by duly accredited journalists. We were disallowed from going in, with the guards telling us “we don't recognise this” - referring to our press pass.

It took the intervention of MFM FC Director of Sports, Godwin Enakhena, before known journalists in the Nigerian Sports circle like Fisayo Dairo; Andrew Randa, the Media Officer of the Nigeria men's U-20 national team; Shola Oyeniyi; and every media practitioners present at the time Enakhena was outside, could all enter the Stadium.

Commendable of Enakhena, who doesn't even know some of us, but stood for and by us.

Popular sports broadcaster, Deji Omotoyinbo had to squeeze himself in through the crowd - just like Enakhena.

But thieves showed some of my colleagues ‘Lagos’.

Pickpockets at the Stadium gates

At least three persons (that I'm aware of) had their phones stolen in the process of trying hard to gain entrance into the Stadium.

Chris Emenyonu, a Lagos-based sports broadcast journalist confirmed to me his phone was stolen at the stadium.

A female sports journalist too fell victim. I could see in her face that she was distraught. She tried calling her line with another phone, but I was not sure if she was able to retrieve her phone.

Nigeria vs Lesotho: Hoarded tickets sold at inflated prices

AllNews’ reporter spotted multiple sellers in front of the Teslim Balogun Stadium gates selling match tickets for between N1, 000 to N5,000.

Nigeria vs Lesotho

This is despite the fact that the Lagos State Sports Commission (LSSC) said a few days ago that tickets for Nigeria vs Lesotho match will not be sold.

READ ALSO: Basketball: Date Set for Africa League Historic Inaugural Season

All in all, as I mentioned, it was a good show in Lagos.

Related Topics

Join our Telegram platform to get news update Join Now

0 Comment(s)

See this post in...

Notice

We have selected third parties to use cookies for technical purposes as specified in the Cookie Policy. Use the “Accept All” button to consent or “Customize” button to set your cookie tracking settings