MTN made Super Eagles’ boat trip to Porto Novo possible, says Pinnick

• Toriola relishes ‘great opportunity’ to work with NFF
Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) President, Amaju Pinnick, yesterday gave detailed account of Super Eagles’ boat trip to Porto Novo for the Cameroun 2022 African Nations Cup qualifier against the Squirrels of Benin Republic last Saturday.

The three-time AFCON champions defeated the Squirrels 1-0 through a last minute header by Paul Onuachu.

Pinnick, a FIFA Council member, paid a thank you visit to MTN’s head office in Lagos yesterday alongside other officials of the NFF, including the First Vice President, Seyi Akinwunmi.

Speaking at the occasion, the NFF boss revealed that the telecommunications giant facilitated Super Eagles’ sea trip to Porto Novo for the match and back to Lagos.

He said: “I decided to come with some of my executive members to thank MTN for the role it played in our trip to Porto Novo for the AFCON qualifier. I put a call to Karl that we needed extra boats, and within two minutes, everything was ready. MTN gave the team two boats of 24-seater each. We really appreciate it.

“The boat trip to Porto Novo was stress free and it is good for us to exploit other means of transportation in Lagos. The players and the coaches enjoyed the trip. This is the beginning of another journey with MTN, and I believe this partnership will take Nigeria football to a greater height. And we look forward to even more support from them, and other well-meaning Nigerians and corporate organisations,” Pinnick stated.

The Guardian learnt that apart from the two boats and seven crew members, MTN also provided insurance covers required for the players, their coaches and other members of the team for the trip to Porto Novo.

The Gernot Rohr-led team took off and docked at the Falomo jetty in Ikoyi, Lagos, which was built by the telecommunications service provider for the Lagos State Waterways Authority (LASWA).

On his part, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of MTN Nigeria, Karl Toriola said: “It is a great opportunity for us in MTN to work with the NFF. MTN is a big supporter of Nigerian football, and we appreciate the opportunity to further our support for the sports, the players, and the fans.”