U20 WWC: Nigeria’s Falconets sleep on floor at airport after exiting tournament

The Falconets made an impressive appearance at the World Cup despite being eliminated by the Netherlands at the quarter-final stage.

The West Africans had topped their group with a 100% record after coasting to wins against France, South Korea and Canada.

However, their journey came to an end in the quarter-finals after losing 2-0 to the Netherlands on Sunday evening.

The Falconets departed host country Costa Rica on Monday and made a stop at Colombia before getting to the Istanbul Airport.

However, the players were captured sleeping on the floor and on chairs at the airport following delayed flights that left them stranded.

“Behold what our U20 girls are going through after exiting the tournament Team departed Costa Rica on Monday morning as early as 6 and are now in Istanbul having to face over a 19hour layover. They are currently sleeping at the airport. Some on the floor, some on the chairs,” Nigerian journalist, Sarafina Napoleon lamented on Twitter.

Meanwhile, the Nigerian Football Federation (NFF) has distanced itself from the poor travel arrangements of the U20 women’s team.

NFF spokesperson Demola Olajire said it was FIFA who booked the team’s ticket from Costa Rica and did not envisage such problems.

He said: “FIFA also did not envisage the hitches that saw the team delayed for more than three hours in Bogota, and another one hour in Panama. By the time the team got to Istanbul, the flight to Abuja had left.

“Our officials pleaded for compassionate transit visas to take the players and officials to a hotel inside the town, but this was not possible.

“They were informed that Nigeria had been removed from the list of countries whose citizens were issued visa-on-arrival in Turkey,” Olajire added.