2014 Wlorld Cup: Supporters club may abandon last group match

Members of the Nigeria Football Supporters Club may not watch the final Group F match between Nigeria and Argentina in Porto Alegre at the ongoing 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the club’s members had complained of the poor treatment FIFA and the Local Organising Committee meted out to them in the previous matches played by the Super Eagles.
They complained that FIFA and the Local Organising Committee denied them going into the stadium with their musical instruments and their branded wears.
NAN reports that for more than four decades, members of the club have been attending major international football tournaments to cheer the national teams.
Rafiu Ladipo, the president of the club, told NAN after the match between Nigeria and Bosnia-Hezergovina on Sunday that the denial was a surprise to them.
According to Ladipo, the club began its activities in 1977 and its efforts have been greatly acknowledged by the world football governing body, FIFA, at various times.
He said: “The past 37 years have been rewarding, but a sad twist seems to be hindering the club from performing its function in Brazil.
“This is very strange and we have to tackle it with everything at our disposal to avoid a repeat because if you separate music from football, there is nothing left for the fans.”
Ladipo noted that the members were also prevented from dishing out the usual inspirational songs to back the Eagles while playing.
He said: “The club members in their hundreds travelled to Brazil to cheer the national team at the World Cup, wearing uniforms with the symbol of their sponsor, Globacom.
“The organisers, however, disallowed them from entering the stadium with the uniform they were wearing.”
Ladipo added that the LOC gave security reasons for disallowing the supporters club from going into the stadium with their drums and trumpets.
The organisers had said that the musical instruments could be converted into projectiles.
But furious Ladipo accused the security officials of working against the interest of the Nigerian team in Brazil.
He said: “This excuse is not tenable.
“This is like playing double standards in one competition.
“The Nigerian supporters club is not known for violence and this is not our first World Cup appearance.
“We have been doing this as our contribution to the game of football, not only in Nigeria, but also in Africa and the world.
“We have been doing this for decades and for FIFA security committee to wake up all of a sudden to stop us from wearing our uniforms and beating our drums and blowing our trumpets is not the best.”
Some members of the club, who spoke to NAN, condemned the decision of FIFA and the overzealous security officials for the treatment meted out to the members of the club in Curitiba.