Super Eagles Paid Upfront for Cancelled Ghana Friendly due to London Riots

The organisers of the Ghana versus Nigeria match have paid the Super Eagles an unspecified sum in appearance fees upfront before the game billed for Vicarage Road, London, was put off on Tuesday as result of the rioting which hit several cities across England.

The much anticipated 55th derby match between Nigeria and Ghana was sensationally called off on the eve of the match when Hertfordshire Constabulary council declared a force majeure about its inability to secure the match in the wake of the sustained clash in London between the rioters and police.

But news out of Ghana Tuesday night claimed that the organisers of the match, JV2, had paid both Nigeria and Ghana ahead, before the kick off of the friendly, and had admitted suffering huge losses arising from the cancelation.

Though there were reported instances of the absence of key players as result of injuries and hitches with travelling arrangements, players and officials of both Nigeria and Ghana were already on ground before the cancelation.

The friendly match has now been rescheduled for a date in October subject to the approval of the FA of England. The rescheduled match will now hold after the African Cup of Nations qualifying matches involving both Ghana and Nigeria.

The Ghanaians will host Swaziland in Accra in the first week of September, while Nigeria will visit Madagascar in Antananarivo across the Indian Ocean the same week.

According to reports, JV2 chief executive, Justin Addo incurred the losses after he paid the mandatory appearance fees to both sides. He will also find a way of making refund to the fans who had paid for the tickets of the match billed for the ground of Watford football club.

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