Chairman of the NFF Security Committee, Alhaji Babagana Kalli declared on Saturday that all safety and security arrangements have been perfected ahead of Sunday’s 2023 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying match between Nigeria’s Super Eagles and the Falcons and True Parrots of Sao Tome and Principe.
“We have held a series of meetings with representatives of all security agencies and we are all on the same page.
“As I speak with you, we are having another meeting with the representatives of the Federal Road Safety Corps, DSS, Police and the Army.
“There is no small match in football again. Safety and security are very important aspects of the organization of any sporting event, and we are not unaware of that fact. We will still hold a number of meetings on Saturday evening and Sunday morning to perfect arrangements.”
His Excellency, Governor Umo Eno is expected at both the match and the earlier opening ceremony of the 79th NFF Annual General Assembly, alongside Sports Development Minister John Owan Enoh, Permanent Secretary Ismailia Abubakar, Nigeria’s FIFA Council Member and Member of the CAF Executive and Emergency Committees Amaju Melvin Pinnick and Akwa Ibom State Commissioner for Sports Monday Uko.
The visiting Falcons and True Parrots had their first training in Nigeria on Friday, and had their official training on Saturday evening (5pm) at the Godswill Akpabio Stadium.
Group leaders Nigeria trained at 6pm at the same venue.
The Super Eagles require the minimum win to finish top of the pool, having already qualified for the finals in Cote d’Ivoire early next year following their 3-2 defeat of Sierra Leone in Monrovia on 18th June.
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Izuchukwu Okosi is a Nigerian sports and entertainment journalist with two decades of experience in the media industry having begun his media journey in 2002 as an intern at Mundial Sports International (MSI) and Africa Independent Television (AIT), owners of Daar Communications Plc.
In October 2004, Okosi joined Complete Communications Limited, publishers of Complete Sports newspaper and Complete Football magazine as a reporter and later script writer for the Complete Sports studio.
He worked there for 13 years until October 2017.
Okosi also worked various times as Correspondent, Content creator and Editor at Sports Market International Magazine, Opera News, All Nigeria Soccer Media and Iconic Media Watch.
He also undertook freelance writing gigs for some local and international organizations.
Okosi is a member of the Actors Guild of Nigeria (AGN), Association of Movie Producers (AMP), Association of Voiceover Artistes of Nigeria (AVOA), Sports Writers Association of Nigeria (SWAN) and Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ).
He has been part of cast in some Nollywood movies and radio dramas including Blood Money 2, Scores To Settle, Dead End 2, Another Campus Tale and Battle Line.
Aside mainstream media and the entertainment industry, he has interests in scouting/unearthing of talents in the sports and creative sectors, exports business and property development.
