The local organising committee of Rio 2016 has admitted that it played the wrong national when the Eagles faced Japan on Thursday and tendered an apology
Nigerian egos were bruised during Thursday’s match against Japan in the Men’s Football Event of the 2016 Olympic Games when a wrong national anthem was played.
The Eagles looked confused when the strange tune came up over the Amazon Arena's public address system in Manaus, as a few players tried to find out what was going on.
The Daily Telegraph of Sydney wrote that “the Super Eagles had to look serious and emotional to a tune they had never heard before.”
Nigeria had arrived late for the game after failing to find a flight from their training base in Atlanta, USA, only for them to be welcomed by a wrong national song.
However, they went on to win 5-4 in a very interesting encounter despite jetlag and an odd anthem that could not demoralize them.
Goal has now gotten a statement out of the Rio 2016 Organizing Committee for the Olympic and Paralympic Games apologizing for the unintended error.
“We understand hearing your national anthem during an Olympic Games is something nearly every athlete strives for. Therefore, we regret a wrong anthem was mistakenly played for Nigeria ahead of their match against Japan in the Amazon Arena. We sincerely apologize to the players and the Nigerian National Olympic Committee,” Rio 2016 organisers told Goal in an email statement.
International Media Manager Phillip Wilkinson informed Goal that the anthem played was that of Nigeria’s neighbour to the north Niger, which could explain why the mix-up happened.
There has been no statement from the Nigerian Olympic Committee.
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