CAF Bars Journalists From Covering Nigeria, Sierra Leone AFCON Qualifier

<p><strong>Confederation of African Football&comma; CAF has barred journalists from covering the 2022 Africa Cup of  Nations qualifying match between the Super Eagles of Nigeria and the Leone Stars of Sierra Leone<&sol;strong><&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>&nbsp&semi;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p><strong><a href&equals;"https&colon;&sol;&sol;openlife&period;ng&sol;">OpenLife Nigeria<&sol;a><&sol;strong> understands that the statement barring journalist from covering the match was made known by the Nigeria Football Federation’s spokesperson&comma; Ademola Olajire&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>In the statement titled&comma; &OpenCurlyQuote;<strong>AFCON Qualifier&colon; CAF bars media&comma; journalists from Nigeria&comma; Sierra Leone match’&comma;<&sol;strong> read in full&comma;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>”<em>The Confederation of African Football has categorically stated that no journalists or supporters would be allowed inside the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium&comma; Benin City for Friday’s 2022 AFCON qualifying match between the Super Eagles and the Leone Stars&period;<&sol;em><&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>&nbsp&semi;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p><em>&OpenCurlyDoubleQuote;In the guidelines communicated to the Nigeria Football Federation&comma; CAF instructed&comma; under Media Operations&comma; that there would be no mixed zone&comma; virtual press conference only if possible &lpar;media officers from both teams only&rpar;&comma; and that only the TV channels with the rights will be allowed flash interviews&period;<&sol;em><&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>&nbsp&semi;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>&nbsp&semi;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p><em>&OpenCurlyDoubleQuote;Also&comma; only photographers of participating teams would be allowed at the match&period;<&sol;em><&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>&nbsp&semi;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p><em>&OpenCurlyDoubleQuote;The above puts to rest all previous speculations regarding having spectators at the match venue&comma; and whether members of the media would be allowed into the arena&period;”<&sol;em><&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>&nbsp&semi;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>This online news medium learnt that the statement also quoted the NFF’s Director of Competitions&comma; Bola Oyeyode&comma; as saying that &OpenCurlyDoubleQuote;<em>only individuals accredited by the NFF would be allowed inside the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium for the Day 3 qualifier&comma; which will kick off at 5pm Nigeria time&period;”<&sol;em><&sol;p>&NewLine;