General Secretary of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), Dr. Mohammed Sanusi has debunked reports that the Falconets were stranded in Turkey.
He spoke after viral photos showing Nigeria’s female U-20 team sleeping on the bare floor at a Turkish airport after crashing out of the ongoing FIFA Women U-20 World Cup.
Reports circulated that the Falconets left Costa Rica, the venue of the competition, but were stranded in Istanbul, Turkey.
Sanusi said that contrary to reports that the team was abandoned in the European nation, they missed their connecting flight from Istanbul to Nigeria.
“The Falconets were not stranded in Turkey; to say the girls were stranded is a mischievous statement. It’s the fault of the airline.
“By the time they arrived in Istanbul, the connecting Turkish Airline flight that was supposed to convey them from Turkey to Abuja had left and the Falconets had to wait for the next flight,” The Punch quoted Sanusi as saying.
He added that the team was finally able to board another flight to Nigeria.
The Falconets crashed out of the competition after a 2-0 loss to the Netherlands in the quarterfinals on Sunday.