The battle of Nairobi

I speak of the very important 2014 FIFA World Cup qualifying match between the Super Eagles, champion team of Africa, and the Harambee Stars of Kenya, scheduled for the Moi International Sports Centre, Kasarani on Wednesday, June 5.Following the Harambee Stars’ gutsy performance in Calabar in the first clash between the two teams, which ended […]

I speak of the very important 2014 FIFA World Cup qualifying match between the Super Eagles, champion team of Africa, and the Harambee Stars of Kenya, scheduled for the Moi International Sports Centre, Kasarani on Wednesday, June 5.
Following the Harambee Stars’ gutsy performance in Calabar in the first clash between the two teams, which ended 1-1, and the inauspicious, forced exclusion of some of the Super Eagles’ ace performers, particularly Emmanuel Emenike (Top Scorer at the Africa Cup of Nations) and Victor Moses (widely rated as Nigeria’s best player at the tournament), the equation is looking like it’s going to be a very tough tie for both teams.
Whatever the performance against the Mexicans, the Super Eagles are definitely focused on the two crucial 2014 FIFA World Cup qualifying matches against the Kenyans and the Namibians.
For the Nigeria Football Federation, and of course the Super Eagles, the priority has always been the World Cup race and then, the FIFA Confederations Cup. It was always going to be difficult to place on the same scale, a high-profile friendly match; World Cup qualifying games and; FIFA Confederations Cup tournament.
There was never any doubt which one was most important: World Cup qualification. However, it is only the second time in history that Nigeria will be playing at the FIFA Confederations Cup, and only the first time since it was renamed thus. The only time Nigeria had been at the ‘Festival of Champions’ was way back in 1995, when the Stephen Keshi-led squad finished fourth at what was then known as the Intercontinental Tournament for the King Fahd Cup, in Saudi Arabia.
Going into the FIFA Confederations Cup is a huge honour. Nigeria is flying the flag of the entire African continent and will be so attended to. It is going to be a big party, coming only a year before the FIFA World Cup finals in the same country.
However, as has been canvassed and still being wisely canvassed in several quarters, the FIFA Confederations Cup is a Big Party while the FIFA World Cup is the Real Party. For instance, I can easily reel off the names of the countries that won the FIFA World Cup in the past 20 years: 1994 – Brazil; 1998 – France; 2002 – Brazil; 2006 – Italy; 2010 – Spain. However, I cannot remember the name of the country that won the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup? That is, with all sincerity.
The FIFA World Cup is where to be, and considering the position where we find ourselves (at par with Malawi that has TWO CONSECUTIVE HOME MATCHES, while we have TWO CONSECUTIVE AWAY MATCHES), the situation has reached a point of declaring State of Emergency and that is what we have done.
Winning in Nairobi on Wednesday is a national issue, and in view of the antics of the Kenyans (which they smartly started when they came to Nigeria by putting up a strange attitude, but without being clever), we expect a torrid time in Kenya from the time we arrive there on Tuesday.
Our advance team will be departing from Nigeria today but we keep he details under wraps, though they know the work they have to do to  ensure that we are well-briefed on what is on ground before the delegation flies into Nairobi in the early hours of Tuesday.
This is no less than the situation of November 14, 2009, when the Super Eagles clashed with the Kenyans in a 2010 FIFA World Cup – the last match of the series. Having dropped some important points along the route, such as drawing at home to Tunisia and drawing in Mozambique, the Eagles had a must-win charge and also, that Tunisia must not win in Maputo the same day.
John Mikel Obi and Obafemi Martins played the match of their lives at the Moi International Sports Centre, Kasarani and fortunately for Nigeria, Tunisia failed to light a candle in Maputo and even conceded a late goal to the Mamba. The Eagles qualified for the first-ever FIFA World Cup on African soil, and the Nigeria delegation flew out of Nairobi that night aboard a chartered flight.
On Wednesday, the setting is the same as we need those THREE POINTS on the day to boost our chances of reaching the finals in Brazil. In truth, once we get the three points in Nairobi on Wednesday, we can confidently (but without taking anything for granted) look forward to picking the THREE POINTS in Windhoek the following week, against the Brave Warriors of Namibia.
Should the Malawians also continue in their rich vein of form, the FINAL BATTLE will then come to the final qualifier between themselves and the Super Eagles, which our country will host in September.
It goes without saying that for peace of mind and comfort, the SIX POINTS available in Nairobi and Windhoek must come into the bag,  head of the September game.
NEXT WEEK: The Battle of Windhoek