Abuja – The World football-governing body, FIFA on Tuesday approved a new kick-off time for the 2014 FIFA World Cup qualifying match between the Super Eagles of Nigeria and the Brave Warriors of Namibia.

This is contained in a statement issued in Abuja  by Ademola Olajire the Chief Media Officer of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF).

He said the match which was to kick-off at 5pm has been shifted forward to  4pm at the U. J. Esuene Stadium in Calabar on Sunday.

“A cautious Nigeria Football Federation had approached FIFA with request to bring the match kick-off time forward by one hour, from the earlier agreed time of 5pm. FIFA duly obliged.”

Confirming the Barrister Musa Amadu NFF General Secretary said: “Yes, the match will now kick off at 4pm, we earlier proposed the time of 5pm but after deep consideration of all the issues involved the time was shifted forward.

Olajire said the referees from Sudan would  arrive in Nigeria on Friday aboard an Ethiopian Airlines flight from Addis Ababa.

“The Referees Assessor, Mr.Sene Badara from Senegal will arrive in Nigeria on Thursday while the
Match Commissioner, Mr. Bojang Jammeh from The Gambia will be in Nigeria by Wednesday.

“Khalid Abdel Rahman, 44, will be at the centre with his compatriots Waleed Ahmed Ali and Mohammed Idam Hamid as 1st and 2nd Assistant Referees respectively.

Another Sudanese, Badr El Din Abdel Gadir will be  the Fourth Official,” he added.

He further stated that a 25-man delegation of the Namibian National Football Team, known as
Brave Warriors, will arrive in Lagos on Thursday evening aboard a Lufthansa Airline flight from Frankfurt.

“NFF officials confirmed on Tuesday that the delegation of 25 will be made up of players, technical crew and backroom staff.

“A separate delegation of three officials of the Namibia Football Association will also arrive in Lagos the same day aboard a South African Airways flight from Johannesburg”.

He stated that the Brave Warriors, who have been training in Germany and played a 0-0 draw with Mozambique in a friendly in Germany on Saturday, will play with Super Eagles in a 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification campaign. (NAN)