NFF denies abandoning Dream Team

The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) on Monday criticised a report which speculated that the federation had abandoned the U-23 National Team, Dream Team VI.
The clarification was contained in a statement on the NFF website.
The Dream Team VI has been campaigning for a place in 2016 Olympic Games to be hosted by Brazil in Rio De Janeiro.
Ademola Olajire, NFF spokesman, said it was strange for the report to claim that the U-23 team was seeking to qualify for the All Africa Games, when it had since secured a place in the soccer event of the Games.
“This is coming almost three months after the team defeated Zambia in Lusaka to earn a spot at the Games coming up in Congo, September 4 to 19’’.
It said the NFF had never shirked its responsibility of catering for any of the National Teams.
The statement added it was not true that the team had been training and playing its friendly games in adidas kits, and that the officials were owed allowances.
The federation noted that the team played a friendly match against Wikki Tourists in Bauchi at which they used NIKE kits.
It said that the report was a calculated attempt to set sponsors, NIKE, against Nigeria, saying this was not in the interest of the country.
It appealed to the media to always seek clarification on issues before publishing.
The Dream Team VI will take on the U-23 National Team of Congo in the final round, first leg qualifying match in Port Harcourt on July 19.