The Nigeria Football Association says it bears no grudge against FIFA or the 2014 World Cup Local Organising Committee for misrepresenting Nigeria at Thursday’s opening ceremony.
The organisers of the soccer fiesta displayed the wrong flag while announcing Nigeria at the opening ceremony.
Instead of Nigeria’s flag, the Republic of Niger’s flag was projected at the middle of the pitch during the event.
Musa Amadu, the Secretary-General of the NFA, however, said on Friday that the error was not intentional.
Amadu said: “If they called Nigeria and they raised Niger’s flag, it’s not a matter I can address from here.
“People that were there saw it and I know they will talk to FIFA about it.
“LOC and FIFA made an honest mistake.
“I know they (FIFA and the 2014 World Cup LOC) will apologise for their mistakes and that should be the end of the matter.
“Like I said, FIFA and the LOC for the World Cup made an honest mistake and I know they will correct it.
“Nobody is above human mistake, except if there is any in Nigeria.”
Nigeria’s flag features three vertical stripes, with a white stripe sandwiched between two green stripes, while Niger’s flag features three horizontal stripes.
The top stripe is orange, which sat above a white stripe and a green stripe, with an orange circle in the middle of the white stripe.
Niger, which did not qualify for the World Cup, is placed 112 on the latest FIFA rankings, while Nigeria, the current African champion, is ranked 44th.
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