Lagos bubbles as Super Eagles ‘return home’ after two decades

It will be recalled that the last time the Super Eagles played a competitive match in Lagos was 2001 when Nigeria defeated the Chipolopolo of Zambia 2-1 during the qualifiers for the 2002 Africa Cup of Nations.

Lagos, the commercial city of Nigeria will come alive again on Tuesday, March 30 when the Super Eagles battle the Crocodiles of Lesotho in their last match of the 2021 AFCON qualifiers at the Teslim ‘Thunder’ Balogun stadium Surulere.

As the ever passionate football fans await the return of their darling team to the city, there is so much excitement in the air and the reason for this is not farfetched. They have been starved of such experience for more than 20 years.

• Despite FG’s ban, Zamfara peasants stick to mines
• Jukun/Tiv crisis: Court awaits new judge to hear suit

It will be recalled that the last time the Super Eagles played a competitive match in Lagos was 2001 when Nigeria defeated the Chipolopolo of Zambia 2-1 during the qualifiers for the 2002 Africa Cup of Nations.

However, there was another 2-1 victory for the Super Eagles in Lagos but this time in an international friendly with the national team of Sierra Leone at the Teslim Balogun stadium.

So effectively, the last time the Super Eagles played a competitive game in the cast of the one to come on Tuesday was in 2001, making it exactly 20 years of the national team’s absence in Lagos.

Consequently, the Super Eagles became a ‘nomadic’ national team without an official base as they were moved by the football federation to different venues pending on the readiness and capacity of the host state government to render financial support.

Therefore, beginning from 2004 when the Super Eagles moved to Abuja following the completion of the once magnificent Abuja National stadium (MKO Abiola National stadium) in 2003 for the All Africa Games, the three time Africa Champions have camped and played matches in different Nigerian cities like Port-Harcourt, Calabar, Kaduna, Kano, Benin City, Uyo and most recently Asaba, the home of the NFF president, Amaju Pinnick.

Without doubt, the Super Eagles within this period qualified and participated in six Africa Cup of Nations and two FIFA World Cups in 2014 and 2018.

However, the feeling of disappointment among Lagos football fans persisted for two fundamental reasons-the historic victories recorded by the team at the National stadium Surulere and the fear factor which the fans usually offer the Super Eagles.

Such claims are not unfounded because it was in Lagos that the then Green Eagles won the country’s first Africa Cup of Nations trophy in 1980 when the Christian Chukwu led team walloped the Desert Foxes of Algeria 3-0 before a record 85,000 fans.

In addition, Lagos is where the Super Eagles recorded dramatic and memorable victories in the quarter-final and Semi-final matches of the 2000 AFCON co-hosted by Ghana and Nigeria.

Lagos fans will surely continue to remember with nostalgia how young Julius Aghahowa rescued the Super Eagles from the jaws of defeat in the quarter-finals after the Terranga Lions of Senegal had taken an early lead that lasted for almost the entire duration of the match.

The ‘acrobatic’ Aghahowa came on lately but was able to get the equaliser in injury before scoring another in extra time to put the Super Eagles into the semi-finals where pacy Tijani Babangida wrecked the Bafana Bafana of South Africa with two quick goals for the grand finale against eventual winners, the Indomitable Lions of Cameroon.

And talking about the fear factor, Lagos fans are known for their passion for football and their ability to bring out the best in the Super Eagles even when they are underperforming.

Consequently, the clamour has been on for the national team to return to Lagos, the city many consider to be the Super Eagles traditional home just the way Wembley is home for the Three Lions of England and the massive Maracana for the Samba boys of Brazil. At these venues, the teams are always sure of the 12th player in the stands.

Interestingly, even as the iconic National stadium Surulere is still undergoing renovation, adjacent to it is the Teslim Balogun stadium which has been upgraded to host the Super Eagles on Tuesday after over 20 years hiatus.

Already some Lagos fans who spoke to Trust Sports have expressed eagerness to watch the Super Eagles play live once again.

A football fan from Oshodi, Bello Abdulghaniy Adeola said “My thoughts on the return of the Super Eagles to Lagos the sport city is that it’s going to be a great feeling for the team to play here again after over 20 years.”

“We have missed the team in Lagos and we look forward to seeing more of their games being brought back to the centre of excellence. It should not be a one-off thing.”

“Well, Myth has shown that the Super Eagles rarely lose in matches they play in Lagos.

“In addition, football teams are expected to enjoy some advantages when they play at home. There is no other state in Nigeria that can provide this advantage maximally like Lagos,” said Adetokunbo Adetunji who is a banker.

A female fan, Ayo Dimeji also expressed excitement that the Super Eagles are finally home. She, therefore, promised to be one of the 8,000 fans who would be at the stadium to cheer the Super Eagles to resounding victory.

On his part, Frank Albert Junior said “I must confess that I am happy the Super Eagles will be playing again in Lagos after a very long time.

“This is something we the fans here in Lagos have been agitating for. The return of Super Eagles is heart-warming.”

Even as the excitement among the fans is logical, they must first of all wait for the Super Eagles who arrived in Cotonou yesterday to do today’s business against the Squirrels of Benin.

It is after the battle of Porto-Novo that the Super Eagles will return to the ever bubbly city of Lagos to make their debut appearance in front of the ‘football crazy fans’.

The new generation Super Eagles will be feeling the excessive heat of Lagos for the first time in a competitive match.

The General Secretary of the NFF, Dr. Sanusi Mohammed told Trust Sports that the Confederation of African Football, CAF has given approval for at least 80,000 fans to be admitted into the stadium.

He, however, said available tickets would be distributed to the expectant fans by the host state in consultation with the NFF.

Mohammed also assured that the match will be staged in total compliance with the laid down COVID-19 protocols.

“CAF has allowed 30 percent of fans for the game against Lesotho and the stadium has a sitting capacity of 21,000. So we are looking at 8,000 fans for the game.

“We are liaising with the host city as they have the COVID-19 protocols. They are mapping out strategies to ensure there is physical distancing in the seating arrangement with the seats being labelled.

He, furthermore, admitted that having been starved for so many years, the joy of the excited fans will be hard to control.

“It is always difficult to control Nigerians and now that it is long they watched the Super Eagles live in Lagos, there is going to be pressure but the security personnel are much aware and make sure the issue is under control,” said Mohammed.