All roads lead to Calabar

My belief stems from my knowledge of the Nigeria population as a football-loving lot, with keen interest in the game and with unqualified passion for the National Teams.Today, the Super Eagles, our African champions, will pull no punches as they entertain the Walya Antelopes of Ethiopia in the concluding leg of the 2014 FIFA World […]

My belief stems from my knowledge of the Nigeria population as a football-loving lot, with keen interest in the game and with unqualified passion for the National Teams.
Today, the Super Eagles, our African champions, will pull no punches as they entertain the Walya Antelopes of Ethiopia in the concluding leg of the 2014 FIFA World Cup qualifying campaign.
It has been a long journey. I remember that we started this race with a home game against the Brave Warriors of Namibia, with a solitary goal to show for it at the U. J. Esuene Stadium. That was on June 3, 2012. The following week, we flew into Malawi to play the Flames, whose flames were almost extinguished but for a late defensive misunderstanding that tied the game 1-1.
After that, we drew 1-1 with Kenya in Calabar on a day that we all thought we should have ‘dealt’ with the Harambee Stars to show the true colours of African champions. However, the Kenyans paid dearly for this in their backyard, as Ahmed Musa’s goal gave Nigeria the full points in Nairobi in June.
I also remember that we would have cleaned out the campaign without much stress right there in Windhoek, Namibia, but again, it was delayed as the Namibians proved quite stubborn and we had to settle for a 1-1 draw. We needed to avoid defeat against the Malawians in Calabar and we did that quite well, winning to qualify for the final elimination fixture.
Once again, I am delighted to appreciate all those Nigerians who travelled with Team Nigeria to Addis Ababa for the first leg of the final qualifying fixture, and supported the team passionately even in the rain. The 2-1 win there means that, as was the case against Malawi in September, we only need to avoid defeat against Antelopes, to reach the 2014 FIFA World Cup finals.
Coming only eight days after the Golden Eaglets set a record of four wins in the FIFA U-17 World Cup, with a clinical dismantling of Cup holders Mexico in Abu Dhabi (which duly elicited praise from FIFA President Sepp Blatter), I am of the view that the Super Eagles will insist they have a point to prove.
If you know the Super Eagles very well, and you are in this business, you do not need a seer to tell you that the senior boys will seek to fly to Brazil in style. During the week, in an informal chat with some of the players, I was able to deduce that they want to fire on all fronts.
While Nigerian fans celebrated wildly after the Eagles lifted the Africa Cup of Nations, and even lined the street from Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport to Transcorp Hilton to wave to the players on arrival from South Africa, the new song on everyone’s lip is Golden
Eaglets and I am sure the Super Eagles wish to change the situation.
They know the only way they can do a quick swap and get back into every fan’s consciousness is to wipe out the Ethiopians in a clean and unambiguous manner, and that requires goals, goals, and more goals.
Governor Liyel Imoke, CON, and the Honourable Minister of Sports and Chairman, National Sports Commission, Alhaji Bolaji Abdullahi, as well as the Inspector General of Police, Alhaji Muhammadu Dikko Abubakar and the Chairmen of the Sports Committees of the Senate and House of Representatives, will all grace the occasion to support the Super Eagles, alongside the full compliment of the NFF Executive Committee and Management, and members of the Cross River State cabinet.
It has been a journey from June last year with the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers and the tournament proper, as well as the FIFA Confederations Cup in-between. But it has been a lovely and exciting journey and we are set to see this to fruition.
As I said during the week, we have the players who have the ability, the capacity and the passion to do the job. The Walya Antelopes should not pose any threat here since they could not pose much of a threat at their own home. But let us not think all we need do is turn up at the stadium and the ticket will be handed over to us.
We have been fighting from Day One, and we would not get tired of fighting when all that is left is only 90 minutes.
I am satisfied with the views expressed by some of the players, to the effect that they would not underrate the Ethiopians. I like the part about the match in Calabar likely to be tougher than the one in Addis Ababa.
Surely, the Antelopes have nothing to lose. From the day the draw was made and they were pitted against Nigeria, I can say they never realistically thought they had a chance.
However, caution is important, because it is when a man thinks he has it all that he is wide open to a sucker punch. The Eagles will play with their hearts and give us the ticket to the 2014 FIFA World Cup finals, today. Insha Allah.
Our Golden Boys…
There is so much to say about the triumph of the U-17 National Team, Golden Eaglets, in the United Arab Emirates, making it a record fourth title for our dear country in that competition. But I will have to leave this till next week.
However, I want to express heartfelt appreciation to Governor Muazu Babangida Aliyu of Niger State for hosting the Eaglets to a gorgeous banquet and showering them with cash gifts and pledge of plots of land.
Next Week: These Amazing Golden Eaglets!