Falcons clash with commuter in Austria over anti-Buhari comments

Players of the Super Falcons confronted a man who accused them of playing for Nigeria despite the atrocities going on in the country inside a train in Vienna, Austria.

A video showed the man, who claimed to be a Nigerian citizen, accusing the players for not speaking out against the regime of the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd).

The Falcons are in Austria on an eight-day intensive training camp as part of the preparation for the forthcoming Aisha Buhari Invitational Women’s Football Tournament.

Team officials explained on Tuesday afternoon that the girls, who had been in the Austrian capital since Thursday preparing for the upcoming international engagements, opted to have a view of the city after their morning training, and decided on public transport to the city centre.

“I am also a Nigerian, and I have lived in Vienna for so many years and you people are representing a terrorist group. You Nigerian youths should be very ashamed of yourselves, every one of you should be ashamed of yourselves.

“This can’t happen in another country, that their youths are representing this government. Over 10 million Nigerian youths are abroad doing nothing and you people who are supposed to know about it are representing a terrorist organisation called Buhari, kidnapping citizens, killing youths.

“I am calling on you, go back home, don’t represent this country, you don’t understand what Nigerians are going through, you should be the ones to fight for everyone,” the man, who claimed he played for defunct Julius Berger FC, said.

“I played for Julius Berger, I am a footballer also, the corruption in Nigeria drove me here and I am here suffering.”

When he was confronted by players and officials of the team, he threatened to call the police on anyone who touched him.

According to Nigeria’s FIFA Match Agent, Jairo Pachon, the matter has been immediately reported to the Austrian Police and the Embassy of Nigeria.

Pachon told thenff.com, “It is unfortunate. The girls were on the way to the city centre which was just a few minutes from the hotel. They entered this train and the guy got inside and started insulting them. He was bundled out at the next station and we have reported the matter to the Embassy of Nigeria and the Austrian Police. We have never had this kind of case with any of our teams and lessons have been learnt and we will be guided appropriately going forward.

“This incident will not in any way affect the team’s camping programme and they will remain in Austria until Saturday, 24th July as scheduled.”

Meanwhile, the Nigeria Football Federation says it has initiated moves to ensure “the unmasking of the self-acclaimed Nigerian who got on the train with the Super Falcons in Vienna, Austria on Tuesday and made the players uncomfortable with inflammatory political talks.”

NFF president Amaju Pinnick said the NFF would immediately report the matter to world football body FIFA and would pursue the case to its logical conclusion.

“We are infuriated because these are young ladies who are our ambassadors and are there in Austria preparing for major international competitions. That was a dastardly act by that fellow and we are not taking it lightly. The girls simply wanted to go on sightseeing and there is nothing wrong with that. They do not deserve to be subjected to such diatribe by a so-called fellow Nigerian.

“We will unmask the fellow and then take it from there.”