Emmanuel Ayanbunmi, the NFF's Protocol chief, explained that the South African Football Association had informed them that their chartered aircraft would depart South Africa on Wednesday morning at 8am and land in Lagos to undergo immigration formalities before proceeding to Uyo. However, the team took an additional five hours to depart from South Africa, and only contacted the NFF less than two hours before landing to inform them that they had been granted landing rights at the Port Harcourt International Airport instead of the Murtala Mohammed Airport (MMA) in Lagos.
Ayanbunmi stated that the NFF had already made arrangements with the Nigeria Immigration Service and other relevant agencies in Lagos to expedite the formalities for the South African team. However, due to the last-minute change in landing arrangements, the NFF had to quickly mobilize officials in Port Harcourt to ensure smooth formalities for the team.
After completing all immigration formalities, the team attempted to take off for Uyo but were informed that the Obong Victor Attah Airport only operates from sunrise to sunset, making it impossible to fly in at night. The NFF then mobilized resources to ensure that the team could comfortably spend the night in Port Harcourt.
Ayanbunmi emphasized that the NFF had done everything possible to facilitate the South African team's arrival and had no control over the logistical issues that arose. He stated that the NFF had even gone out of its way to ensure that the team was comfortable in Port Harcourt, and that their stay was not due to any fault of the NFF.
This clarification by the NFF comes amid reports that the South African delegation had expressed dissatisfaction with their treatment in Nigeria. However, it appears that the issues were largely self-inflicted, and the NFF had done everything possible to accommodate the team's needs.
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