England don avoid di prospect of dia World Cup match against Mexico on Sunday being shifted by six hours, after a day wey full confusion as Fifa dey talk with different people about new kick-off time.
Di match wey everybody dey wait for, wey be last-16 clash for Mexico City, go still play by 6pm local time, wey be 1am Monday for British time. But e no easy come, because both camps dey scramble for clarity as confusion scatter.
Fifa bin dey wrong-footed when news leak for Mexico during afternoon say dem dey negotiate to change di time because thunder and flood fit come for Sunday evening. But ultimately, dem decide to keep di original time.
Di confusion cause farcical scenes, like Mexico manager Javier Aguirre go public to criticise decision wey never even confirm. ‘Dis schedule change hit like kick for stomach,’ e talk. ‘We get to change di whole plan.’
Mexican FA bin don hear from broadcasters on Friday lunchtime say kick-off go change, and dem dey wait for Fifa to confirm. But English FA bin shock when dem hear about potential change, and dem no too happy with di back and forth. Dem bin face di prospect of dia fine-tuned preparations being thrown up in air at short notice.
Thomas Tuchel and im players fly to Mexico City from dia base for Kansas City on Friday afternoon, and di game go kick off less than 48 hours after dem arrive. For di end, di logistical challenge wey involve moving timings for over 50,000 match-day workers be one factor wey make dem no change time. Commercial and broadcasting factors also play part.
Brazil and Norway dey kick off for New Jersey at 9pm BST on Sunday, wey fit cause clash if Mexico and England need extra time. Di potential inconvenience for supporters, some wey dey fly into Mexico City early on matchday with plenty expense, also dey consideration.
Di unfavourable weather forecast fit still delay kick-off. Mexico last-32 win over Ecuador bin hold up by one hour after vicious electric storm. Sources say earlier start go sweet local authorities for safety reasons, as all-night celebrations after dat game end with four deaths.
Fifa don dey show flexibility after six of last year Club World Cup matches suffer severe weather delays. France group stage game against Iraq for Philadelphia be another wey storm interrupt, and e hold up for two hours.
But di uncertainty over such fundamental issue, two days before one of dis World Cup biggest games, don leave unfavourable impression. E further highlight say England go need to dig deep into dia ‘bring it on’ mentality, as assistant coach Anthony Barry talk for interview last November, if dem want escape intact from Azteca many challenges.
‘E hot. Bring it on,’ e talk. ‘We get late flights. Bring it on. We play eight games, not seven. Bring it on. There storm. Bring it on. We get flight with time difference. Bring it on. Bring it on.’
