Baffoe praised for Nigeria action

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Codewit.com -Baffoe was the Fifa match commissioner Ex-Ghana international Anthony Baffoe has been praised by the Nigerian media to the high heavens even though he almost stopped their World Cup qualifier against Kenya on Sunday.

And the match that Nigeria eventually won 3-0 would not have taken place but for a last minute plea by FIFA Executive member, Dr. Amos Adamu, who took responsibility and gave the go-ahead for the match to commence.  

 
Before this time, the FIFA match commissioner for the day, Baffoe , had decided that the match would not start.

He had good reasons that FIFA which entrusted the match to him would have gladly commended.  
The Abuja stadium is a 60,000 capacity stadium.
 
On Sunday, more than 65,000 found their way into the stadium. It was a security risk.
The crowd control was, as usual, poor. This time, it was not because the police could not control the crowd already inside the stadium but simply because more than the stadium capacity were allowed in, a question for those who printed and managed ticket sales.  

 
There were ugly scenes and Baffoe felt that it was not safe to start the match.
“After what happened in Abidjan where more than 20 people died even outside the stadium while trying to get in, FIFA does not want re-occurrence of that tragedy,” said Baffoe who was representing Fifa at the big match.  

 
“They (FIFA) know the problems we have in Africa and they have given instructions with regard to the kind of thing we had today.

“I didn’t want to start the match. Actually, I had decided that the match would not hold. The crowd control wasn’t good.

” I saw people surging into places already full. There were those hanging and it was not good. The crowd control could be better. 
“I didn’t want to start the match until Dr. Adamu directed that we could go on,” Baffoe said as Adamu nodded and said, “yes, I asked him to go on with the match.

” Things normalized a little bit and I saw that they would not get out of hand.”

People jumped parameter fences to get vintage positions.   Outside the stadium was also bad.
As usual, little was done to control traffic on the routes leading to the stadium.
Vehicles jammed up in the chaotic traffic and this even affected the Super Eagles whose bus was also stuck in the traffic.  
Coach Amodu Shuabu and Idah Peterside were forced to jump out to direct traffic at the time they were supposed to be at the dressing room.

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