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FIFA W/C: Wakanow Compensates Stranded Nigerian Fans In Brazil

Published

10 years ago

June 26, 2014

Wakanow.com, official travel partners of the Nigeria Football Federation, NFF, have offered compensation to Super Eagles’ fans who missed Nigeria versus Argentina match played on Wednesday, 25 June, 2014, in Porto Alegre, Brazil.
There were reports on Wednesday that many fans who travelled to Brazil to see the Eagles’ last World Cup group encounter could not make the trip to Sao Paulo because Brazilian aviation authorities refused to allow a Boeing 767 200 plane chartered by Wakanow to land in Brazil from the United States of America.
It was gathered that the travel company had to resort to purchasing commercial carriage for the fans at the last minute and seats could not be gotten for a majority of the fans.
As recompense, the fans were offered an extension of their stay to enable them watch the Eagles’ second round match against France on Monday or flight tickets to a number of international destinations including London, Australia and China or monetary compensation.
Many of the fans have accepted the offers of compensation.
Speaking on the matter, Wakanow’s Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Obinna Ekezie, who led the company’s team to Brazil, apologised for the company’s inability to move the fans to the match venue.
A source in the company informed that it was at the last minute that the Brazilian aviation authorities announced their refusal of landing rights to the plane chartered by Wakanow, which insisted on bringing a plane from the United States.
The Brazilian aviation authorities wanted the company to use the small, propeller planes that are on offer in their country.
“This was a clear case of sabotage. We played everything by the book, but we were left disappointed,” the source said.
According to the source, the NFF, which Wakanow paid handsomely to become its official travel partners, did not intercede on their behalf with FIFA, leaving the company to to deal directly with the world football governing body.
” Even on the issue of match tickets, NFF kept telling us there were no tickets while they were selling the tickets in the black market or giving them out as gifts at match venues” the source explained, adding that Wakanow is considering legal options in their relationship with the NFF.
It was gathered that top officials of Wakanow.com spent the better part of Wednesday meeting with Nigerian fans they brought to Brazil in hotels in Sao Paulo, offering them deals to assuage their pain at having missed what was the best match the Eagles have played so far in the tournament.
It could be recalled that Nigeria’s Super Eagles were defeated 2-3 by Argentina on Wednesday but the African champions still qualified to the round of 16 ahead of Bosnia-Herzegovina.