The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) says it is closely monitoring the escalating conflict involving Iran, as uncertainty grows over the Nigeria national football team’s scheduled international friendlies during the upcoming FIFA International Window in March.
Nigeria had been scheduled to participate in a four-nation invitational tournament in Amman, Jordan, where the Super Eagles were expected to face the Iran national football team on March 27 before taking on the Jordan national football team on March 31.
The Costa Rica national football team was also billed to take part in the mini-tournament, which was designed to give participating teams competitive preparation during the international break.
However, the planned competition has now been thrown into doubt after Iran reportedly withdrew from the tournament amid rising political and military tensions in the Middle East.
The development has forced organisers to reconsider the structure and venue of the fixtures.
Reports over the weekend indicated that discussions were underway to possibly relocate the matches from the Middle East to a venue in Europe as a precautionary measure, in order to ensure the safety of players, officials and fans.
Reacting to the situation, NFF Director of Communications, Ademola Olajire, said the federation is keeping a close watch on developments while maintaining active communication with the tournament organisers.
Olajire noted that the federation would continue to monitor the situation and provide updates once a final decision is taken regarding the tournament’s format and location.
The uncertainty comes at a time when the Super Eagles are seeking valuable match practice ahead of upcoming international competitions, making the March window an important opportunity for the team to test its squad and tactics.
The post NFF Monitoring Iran Crisis as Super Eagles Friendlies Face Uncertainty first appeared on Africa Top Sports.
