Threat by terrorist group,
The federation is, however, mapping out fresh security strategies in conjunction with the hosts, South Africa and world soccer governing body, FIFA, in a bid to ensure a watertight security for the Super Eagles during the mundial.
NFF’s security chief, ACP Gideon Akinshola, who is just back from South Africa where he attended a pre-World Cup security seminar, told Daily Sunsports exclusively that given the security measures being put in place by the South African World Cup organisers and FIFA, all those coming to the mundial, especially the players, would be safe.
"We are aware of the threat by Al-Qaeda to strike during the World Cup. FIFA, the World Cup Local Organising Committee (LOC) and the participating countries are not folding their arms on the issue. We have drawn up detailed operational plans on how to forestall anything that could disrupt the mundial.
"One thing I can assure you is that our players will be safe, the fans and other tourists coming for the event will be safe. The World Cup is a festival of football and those coming to be part of it have nothing to worry about."
Akinshola, who has equally inspected the Super Eagles’ Durban camp, as well as the Nigerian World Cup Village in South Africa, said adequate security measures would be taken to ensure that Nigerians coming to South Africa would protected. He noted that after what happened to Togo in Cabinda during the Nations Cup, as well as the threat from Al-Qaeda, it would be naïve to threat security matters at the mundial with kid gloves.
"At our own level as a participating nation, the NFF is working closely with the hosts and Interpol in the area of security. As you know, I can’t give you details, but Nigerians should be rest assured that we are on top of the situation. Security is one area we cannot take for granted."
The United States of America, it would be noted, has offered to assist South Africa in the area of security after the threat by Al-Qaeda. The group in its threat mentioned American, British, Nigerian, Slovenian, French, German and Italian teams as targets. The State Department said South African police would be offered extensive training in an effort to prevent a catastrophe at the most-watched sporting event in the world.
Analysts believe that with what happened to the Togolese team in January, and to Israeli athletes at the 1972 Munich Olympic Games, and last year to cricketers in Pakistan, any threat to sports has to be taken seriously.
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