Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) information department have been found wanting with a couple of errors in their press releases ahead of next month’s international friendly with Ukraine, as the soccer body first failed to note that Semi Ajayi has moved from Rotherham United to West Bromwich Albion, while also incorrectly displayed the hosts’ flag, megasportsarena.com reports.
Although Ajayi has already played a handful of competitive matches for West Brom, which he joined last month, the NFF listed him as a player with Rotherham in their statement about the Super Eagles squad list for the September 10 friendly, then followed up by placing Ukraine’s flag in a lopsided manner.
Graphic details of the NFF’s promotional poster for the match at Dnipro-Arena show that the Nigerian soccer governing body displayed Ukraine’s yellow and blue coloured banner in a vertical order, instead of the usual horizontal display that has been known with the East European country.
Ukraine’s flag has two equally sized horizontal bands of blue and yellow, which was originally adopted in 1848 but stopped when the country was part of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR).
While the NFF have already listed 23 players for the friendly, Ukraine are yet to name their squad, which is also expected to be the team they will line out for a 2020 European Championship qualifier, which holds three days earlier at home against Lithuania.
Amazingly, though, the NFF will have to make corrections on their listing of Ajayi as a player of Rotherham United, as he even only early this week played for WBA in a Carabao Cup loss at home against Milwall.
A portion of NFF’s list of invitees for the match against Ukraine stated: “Defenders: Olaoluwa Aina (Torino FC, Italy); Tyronne Ebuehi (FC Benfica, Portugal); Chidozie Awaziem (FC Porto, Portugal); William Ekong (Udinese FC, Italy); Leon Balogun (Brighton & Hove Albion, England); Kenneth Omeruo (CD Leganes, Spain); Jamilu Collins (SC Padeborn 07, Germany); Oluwasemilogo Ajayi (Rotherham United, England).”