[Clint Eastwood]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/foot...ca/8271348.stm

"[Nigeria should] look at the organisation and look at the quality of the facilities.

"And therefore I hope that this will serve as a kind of stepping stone for Nigeria to be ready.

"As I speak to you now Nigeria is not yet fully ready. I hope that some of this (Egypt's planning) will pass off on to Nigeria," he said.

Just another article, with accompanying Jack Warner clown picture, indicating Nigeria still isn't ready for the U17 World Cup.

They've quite simply waited to long to move it, and I think everybody's going to be SOL. I think it's quite admirable that FIFA wanted to bring the game to Africa for the U17, U20, and full WC.........but if they STILL don't have the facilities and organization ready in Nigeria..........this is going to be a disaster.

[TimB4Last]

Talk about being blind-sided - never saw this one coming.

[Zoidberg]

Originally Posted by TimB4Last

Talk about being blind-sided - never saw this one coming.

Yeah, it's always the ones you least expect. (shakes head in sadness and distress)

[MarkHughes]

It's not just that facilities aren't ready, the situation is much worse than that. See the Reuters story from last month and US State Department warning from today (with web links) below. Reuters references "Northern Nigeria" -- the US U17s are set to play group games in Kano, a town in north central Nigeria. The problems and dangers have been well known to FIFA and the various national football organizations for over a year, and may have only gotten worse. People "in the know" have been waving red flags for some time now, to no avail.

REUTERS NEWS:
MAIDUGURI, Nigeria, Aug 2 (Reuters) - More than 700 people were killed during a five-day uprising by a radical Islamic sect in northern Nigeria and the search for bodies is continuing, Red Cross and defence officials said on Sunday.
http://baghdadtobasra.blogspot.com/2...a-clashes.html

US STATE DEPT:
This information is current as of today Thu Sep 24 2009 14:46:46 GMT -4044 (Eastern Daylight Time. The U.S. Department of State warns U.S. citizens of the risks of travel to Nigeria and recommends avoiding all but essential travel to the Niger Delta states of Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa, Delta, and Rivers. Violent crime is a problem in Lagos and other large cities as well as on the roads between cities. Tension between some Muslim and Christian communities, and between ethnic groups, occasionally results in violence, but is not directed specifically against American citizens. This replaces the Travel Warning for Nigeria dated December 2, 2008, to note additional areas of military operations, violent activity, and crime in Nigeria.
http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/tw/tw_928.html

I think it is unbelievable that the tournament was not pulled from Nigeria long ago.

[smithfan]

what a shame. Unbelievable.

[midfieldmadness]

Originally Posted by MarkHughes

It's not just that facilities aren't ready, the situation is much worse than that. See the Reuters story from last month and US State Department warning from today (with web links) below. Reuters references "Northern Nigeria" -- the US U17s are set to play group games in Kano, a town in north central Nigeria. The problems and dangers have been well known to FIFA and the various national football organizations for over a year, and may have only gotten worse. People "in the know" have been waving red flags for some time now, to no avail.


I think it is unbelievable that the tournament was not pulled from Nigeria long ago.

It is unbelievable. What I can't get over is that they decided to have the only tournament full of minors in the most dangerous country of the three. Sending kids from all over the world to Nigeria for a tournament is insanity!

[No shinguards]

Originally Posted by midfieldmadness

It is unbelievable. What I can't get over is that they decided to have the only tournament full of minors in the most dangerous country of the three. Sending kids from all over the world to Nigeria for a tournament is insanity!

The dilemma is... This is a once in a lifetime opportunioty for these players. Do the parents feel confident that the USA, or any other country for that matter, will protect them while in Nigeria? Are they prepared to tell their Children that they cannot go? Is it really the responsibility of the visiting teams to protect themselves?

FIFA should think about the consequences of this event being in such an unruly place...

Do we want to start a pool on the first team to pull out? That would send a signal....

[F96]

Smithfan posted a while ago that DFB hired private security to protect it's players and staff in Nigeria, I imagine the US federation has done the same, still there's no absolute securtiy so I agree it has not been a good decision to award this tournament to Nigeria.

[smithfan]

Originally Posted by F96

Smithfan posted a while ago that DFB hired private security to protect it's players and staff in Nigeria, I imagine the US federation has done the same, still there's no absolute securtiy so I agree it has not been a good decision to award this tournament to Nigeria.

Actually, the US was first as far as I know. And the German federation then announced too that they'll have security teams because of protests by the parents of the players (who are btw still extremely worried). These 2 federations might have the money to do this, but what about the other federations? Will we have some teams extra-protected and some have to rely on what FIFA says? Which is not very promising: "Of course, not everything's safe. But then you have to make sure that there is safety during the competition" (Sepp Blatter)

[JG]

Should have moved it to Ghana when they had the chance.