Sani Kaita has received the backing of his team mates, who have promised to beat South Korea for him, to ensure that he gets a chance to redeem himself at this World Cup.

Kaita is suffering a storm of harsh media backlash following his expulsion against Greece on Thursday.

That sending off had fatal consequences for the Super Eagles, as they  not only surrendered their one goal lead, but also conceded a second that handed victory to the Greeks.

The team held a meeting at lunching on Friday, where Kaita apologised to the rest of the squad for letting them down and asked for forgiviness.

He was given hugs by everyone as the team  told him to look past it, and promised him that they would win for him.

Captain Joseph Yobo said: “He is a young footballer who will learn from mistakes, an expensive one but w e only have to fight now for what is left to salvage here.”

And goalkeeper Vincent Enyeama, who once again emerged as the man of the match, said: “Kaita is still a reliable player and should not be left to suffer from this.

“Stuff like that happen sometimes. If you saw him in training and watched him  in the World Cup you would see why I still think he should be forgiven”.

Nigeria’s Kalu Uche, who got his country in front also said: “We all felt let down on the pitch but once we walked off it, he was in our thoughts.

“No-one is blaming him for anything. He has been a magnificent player for his country and his die-hard performances have earned us success in the past, he will return a better man”.

Nigeria face South Korea on Tuesday in Durban, needing a win to progress, provided Argentina beat Greece.