The staff of the British High Commission in Abuja were allowed time to watch the match between Nigeria’s Super Falcons and the Lionesses of England with the commission announcing that it temporarily suspended business during the match.
The British High Commissioner to Nigeria, Richard Montgomery, in a post on X (formerly known as Twitter) said “normal business” was temporarily suspended “while the match is on.”
The Nigeria national women’s football team was defeated on penalties by the Lionesses of England at the ongoing FIFA Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand.
The Super Falcons, despite their gallant display holding the Lionesses to a barren draw after 120 minutes, lost out 4-2 on penalty kicks.
The match played in front of over 40,000 spectators at the Australian stadium, was also watched by millions of people in Nigeria and England.
The two nations have close ties and a history with Nigeria being one of the countries colonised by the British until 1960 when Nigeria gained independence.
Monday’s match thus provided an opportunity to wind down for many in both countries including staff of the British High Commission.
During the match, Mr Montgomery said: “Half Time All Staff Meeting will include negotiations to maintain peace & harmony amongst all colleagues, regardless of outcomes.”
Nine-time African champion Nigeria displayed remarkable prowess in the closely contested encounter with the higher-ranked England.
At the end of the match, Mr Montgomery tweeted: “in light of rising tensions within the British High Commission Nigeria: supporters of @Lionesses & @NGSuper_Falcons are encouraged to agree a Peace Committee & de-escalation measures.”
While England will face either Colombia or Jamaica in the quarter-finals, the Super Falcons exit the tournament with their heads high and will now focus on the Olympic Qualifiers. The Falcons had played three games without losing any before Monday’s encounter.
Commenting on the game, Nigeria’s First Lady, Oluremi Tinubu, said the Super Falcons gave “England a run for their money” adding she is pleased with their performance.
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