RIO DE JANEIRO – The Nigerian soccer team had every reason to want to spend part of its summer training in Atlanta. That was the site of the team’s greatest triumph, its inspiring run to the gold medal in 1996. What the players didn’t know is that, when it came time to pack up and head to Rio, it would be such a struggle to actually leave Atlanta.
The Nigerians were supposed to leave last week, but a mix-up in communications with their charter flight company had left the bill unpaid, and when a new plane was eventually found, the team deemed it too small to handle its medical needs on what is a 10-hour flight.