The Nigerian Football Federation (NFF) Disappointed over the use of the Old Anthem

The Nigerian Football Federation (NFF) has expressed its disappointment and frustration with the Benin Football Association (FBF) for playing the old Nigerian national anthem during the World Cup qualification match between the Super Eagles of Nigeria and the Squirrels of Benin Republic on Monday, June 10, 2024.

The match, which was played at the Stade Félix Houphouët-Boigny in Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire, saw the Benin Republic emerge victorious with a 2-1 win over the Super Eagles. However, the controversy surrounding the national anthem has overshadowed the match’s outcome. 

According to the NFF, the Benin FA was given a recording of the new Nigerian national anthem, “Nigeria, We Hail Thee,” which was reintroduced by President Bola Tinubu on May 29, 2024. However, the old anthem, “Arise, O Compatriots,” was played instead, causing confusion and embarrassment to the Nigerian team and officials. 

The NFF has blamed the Benin FA for the mix-up, stating that they had provided the correct anthem beforehand. Dayo Anchor, the NFF’s head of international competitions, said that he had handed a recording of the new national anthem to members of the Benin FA on Sunday, a day before the match. 

We gave them the recording of our new national anthem, only for them to play the wrong one at the beginning of the match,” the NFF said in a statement. “We protested strongly and insisted that the Super Eagles would not start the second half until the new national anthem of Nigeria was played.”

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The Nigerian players were seen singing the old anthem, which was used from 1978 to 2024, before the match. However, the correct anthem was played at the beginning of the second half, after the NFF’s protest. 

The NFF has also urged the need to investigate the immediate incident, stating that it will not permit any form of disrespect against the symbols of the nation. The federation equally urged the CAF and FIFA to take all necessary actions, in the interest of the incident, against the annex.