Brazil 2014:C’River Solicits Support For Super Eagles

The Cross River State Government has appealed to soccer fans to turn out in large numbers to cheer the Super Eagles when they take on the Harambee Stars of Kenya in their World Cup qualifying match.

The match is scheduled for March 23 at the U. J. Esuene Stadium, Calabar.

The Cross River State  Commissioner for Youth and Sports, Mr Patrick Ugbe,  made the appeal in an interview with  Tidesports in Calabar, ahead of the match.

The commissioner said a large crowd would be important for the match because the Eagles would also showcase the Africa Cup of Nations that it brought back from South Africa in February.

“We want the supporters, Eagles fans and residents of Calabar, to prepare to come out to support the team — the African Champions.

“They should not forget that the team is also bringing the trophy they won at the last Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in South Africa to Calabar.

“The trophy will be displayed at the stadium on match day, so they should come out en masse to be a part of the AFCON experience by witnessing the trophy in Calabar

He said that the government was doing everything within its powers to ensure a successful hosting of the World Cup qualifier.

“We are preparing; we are doing the normal thing to ensure that the stadium is ready for the team. At the last friendly between the Golden Eaglets and the Diamond Zebras of Botswana, we used the U. J. Esuene Stadium, Calabar to test run the facilities.

“We think we are ready to host the Super Eagles/Harambee Stars match on March 23. Everybody was impressed, The stadium is lush green; it is part of our culture to ensure that we maintain it regularly,’’ Ugbe said.

He added: “We are home to the Super Eagles because all the time they have come here, they get good results. We are happy that the support base that they have here is one they can hardly find anywhere else.

“These are supporters who back the team from the beginning to the end; they are patient with the team. When the goals are hard to come by, they remain with the team.

“That factor of support, warm reception and the hospitable nature of the people count here and then the facilities themselves are of world standard.’