The Super Eagles have been left with no opponents to play against after arriving in Dallas, Texas for the Green Soccer Bowl tournament. Organisers were desperately trying to postpone the tournament till March 13, but it is doubtful if the competition will now take place. Mexico, which were to send their Under 20 team, have cancelled their participation, claiming that tournament organisers did not meet agreed terms and conditions. Panama have also withdrawn with reports on the Panama FA website saying organisers informed them that the tournament had been postponed due to inability to print tickets on time. On Friday, organisers and NFF officials were desperately trying to secure friendly scrimmages for Samson Siasia's team with amateur sides and semi professional clubs in Dallas. http://www.kickoff.com/news/20476/super-eagles-left-in-the-cold-at-obama-cup.php
If I were the Super Eagles, I'd sue the organizers for the costs associated with getting the team assembled and all the way to Dallas. Point blank, that's just unacceptable. I hate that Detroit was even remoted linked with this dumb ass tournament twice.
I think thats why they moved to dallas. The owners of the Silverdome are not stupid to have this bogus event take place in there house.
I agree I see this as a plus for the Detroit efforts. First announce the game in detroit then canceled it saying the ricans could not get their visa's witch as you know this is not the case. then they then said the silverdome was the venue for this game (ha) this didn't happen now this ticket master has no time to print tickets ?? WTF yea right the story is quite contradicting the report says that the Eagles have no opponent to play. so reading between the lines the organizers messed up! Way to go for the owners of the silverdome for seeing this from a mile out!!
I remember when they canceled in May saying that the Puerto Ricans couldn't get visas. I was like "how dumb do you think we are?!"
NFF Furious at Green Bowl Fiasco, Reports Agent to FIFA The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has expressed its indignation at the embarrassment caused Nigeria by the postponement of the 2011 United States’ President’s Holiday Celebration Soccer Tournament (a.k.a Green Bowl Soccer Tournament), after the national football team had arrived in the USA for the tournament. NFF President, Alhaji Aminu Maigari slammed the organiser of the tournament, US-based Nigerian FIFA Licensed Agent, Pius Oleh and instructed the NFF Secretariat to make a detailed report of the fiasco to world football governing body, FIFA. “This is untenable. How can he tell us that there was a ticketing problem after our team had travelled that long distance to play? How can he tell us that he did not know there was a problem until our national team arrived in America? “This is totally irresponsible on his part. How come he did not ensure that everything was in place before telling our team to start coming? We are not going to take this lightly. “We will get all the documents that have to do with the tournament, all the agreements we had with him along the way and send them to FIFA,” said Maigari. http://www.thisdayonline.com/
If the agent mentioned (Pius Oleh) has made any sort of gain from this (if that is indeed his real name), then I hope he is punished. It's just amazing that ordinary amateur football enthusiasts can tell you that the tournament will not take place 2 months in advance, yet football associations seem to be so dumb that they know nothing until they fly to the US. Incompetents, every single person involved in this - from the agent, to the staff of the Nigerian FA, to the website promotion team (if there even was one). Now, with any luck, next time anything called "Green Soccer Bowl" comes around, there will be no doubters here thinking that the tournament might actually take place.
I'd be willing to bet nothing named the Green Soccer Bowl will ever happen again. Seriously, though the organizers are totally and unquestionably responsible for all the harm done and incompetence shown, but seriously Nigeria? Did you not do ANY homework at all?