Dolphins bundled out of ACL

Nigeria Premier League (NPL) champions, Dolphins, have been bundled out of this year's edition of the African Caf Champions League.

Dolphins were beaten 0-1 by Cameroon's Cotonsport de Garoua on Sunday in a second leg of the second round.

A solitary strike from Jacques Haman on 19 minutes was enough to see Cotonsport through to the third round of Africa's biggest club competition.

The 2008 Champions League runners-up progressed into the next round on the away goal's rule after losing the first leg 1-2 two weeks ago in Port Harcourt.

Haman was also the goal scorer in Port Harcourt.

But before Sunday's loss, Dolphins' officials had claimed that they were ill-treated at their hotel lodgings.

An official of the club informed SuperSport.com over telephone from Garoua that "rotten chicken and bananas" were served to the Dolphins' contingent as dinner on Saturday morning instead of Friday night.

"Rotten chicken and bananas were given to us for dinner at 1am (on Saturday). Hot water was served for drinking in this hot weather. It is clear that (Cotonsport) Garoua prepared to deal with us off the pitch. Players just ate because they were hungry but we fear it can affect them.

"Accommodation is not sufficient. One coach, doctor, cameraman, media officer and team coordinator slept in the garden of hotel as there's no place to sleep," complained the official a day to the game.

Dolphins now miss the chance of facing Raja Casablanca of Morocco in the next round.

The Nigerian champions failed to progress beyond this stage in the Champions League in 2005 while they reached the group stage in 1998.