FIFA, NFF confirms Nigeria-Venezuela friendly

NFF president, Aminu Maigari

Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has confirmed that the Super Eagles will take on its Venezuelan counterpart called La Vinotinto (The Burgundy) in an international friendly match.  

The NFF made this disclosure just as Nigerians were beginning to worry that the team was not playing enough friendly matches. The match, which will be played on November 14, is however coming up after the team’s Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against Lone Star of Liberia on October 13.

Unlike previous encounters that never really happened, this match appears sealed as even the international football body, FIFA has been notified of the game and it has added it to its calendar.

The match is slated to be played in Miami, Florida in the United States of America. But it would be recalled that a match once confirmed by FIFA and even initially the NFF against the Angolan national football team was cancelled under controversial circumstances.

The match against Venezuela is expected to help the Nigerian team tune up for the Nations Cup in South Africa next year should the team qualify ahead of Liberia on October 13 among other things. Both teams have never met in a grade ‘A’ friendly match such as this one.

The Eagles last match against a South American side like La Vinotinto was against Peru’s La Blanquirroja (The White and Red) in Lima.