Jonathan Charges Eagles On World Cup Challenge

President Goodluck Jonathan on Friday in Abuja charged the Super Eagles to lead a successful African onslaught on the World Cup trophy at the 2010 FIFA World Cup finals.

   Jonathan who gave the charge at a sendforth dinner tagged “Super Eagles Celebration Night’’, said African leaders were hopeful that one of their six teams in the competition would win the trophy which no African country  has ever won.

The 2010 FIFA World Cup finals are scheduled for June 11 to July 11 in South Africa.

Hosts South Africa, Nigeria, Algeria, Ghana, Cote D’Ivoire and Cameroon are participating in the 32-team event that is being hosted on the African continent for the first time.

“African leaders are hopeful that one of us will win the competition, and therefore I enjoin you to go there and do it because my government will reward you adequately and your names will be written in the annals of history,’’ Jonathan said.

He said the team should go on to give the country a surprise birthday gift as it clocks 50 years after independence.

This, he said, would motivate him to give the players a surprise package.

“There will be no promise for you of what I will do, but when you give the nation that surprise gift, nothing will be too much then for us to give you.

“You have every reason to do well at the World Cup in this year of our 50th Independence Anniversary. So, bring the golden trophy for us as a golden birthday gift,’’ he said.

President Jonathan promised to be in South Africa for the June 11 opening ceremony and the team’s opening Group B game against Argentina on June 12 as the team’s number one fan.

“I will be there and I am expecting you to make me and other Nigerians happy,’’ he said, while advising the team to display the highest sense of discipline and teamwork at the event.

He said he was counting on the team’s Technical Adviser Lars Lagerback to properly guide the team to victory at the competition.

“I and all Nigerians count on the experience of Lagerback and his team to guide the players to success, and I believe he will train the team adequately to bring success to Nigeria,’’ the President said.

Jonathan praised the late President Umaru Yar’Adua for his contributions in ensuring the team earned the ticket to be part of the historic competition which would be the first time six African countries would take part in its 80-year history.

“I say congratulations to all who contributed to the qualification of the team. But this history cannot be completely recorded without mentioning the contributions of our late President Yar’Adua.

“His foresight in setting up the Presidential Task Force (PTF) to complement the efforts of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) is what we are seeing today,’’ he said.