Sports
Confederations Cup: Fans Anticipate Good Outing For Super Eagles
Football enthusiasts have expressed hope in the ability of the Super Eagles to put up a good showing at the FIFA Confederations Cup which began in Brazil at the weekend.
The fans, who spoke in separate interviews last Thursday in Abuja, said they expected the team to at least have a semi-finals berth.
The Super Eagles will face Tahiti today in Group B and later take on Uruguay and world champions, Spain.
Director of Finance and Administration, National Sports Commission (NSC), Alhaji Mustapha Mohammed, told newsmen that a semi-final berth for the Eagles was a realistic target.
“We will do well in the Confederations Cup by the grace of God. Certainly, we are aiming at the semi-finals.
“As for me, if they can get to the semi-finals, they would have done well.
“However, if they can go beyond that, then it will be a plus; you know that in football, anything is possible,’’ he said.
NSC’s Press Secretary, Tony Ohaeri, said the Super Eagles were psychologically prepared for the Confederations Cup.
“The Super Eagles are mentally sound at the moment and have not lost any competitive match since winning the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) title in South Africa early in the year.
Ohaeri said he hoped that they could take the same spirit to the Confederations Cup.
He added that it was good for our national image and the players’ psyche as they prepare for the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.
“I believe they are in the right frame of mind for the competition, though they will be competing with big football nations in Europe, South America, and so on.
“But I am confident that with the crop of boys we have in the squad, they can hold their own against any team in the world.
“I am not expecting them to lift the trophy, but I am sure they are going to give a good account of themselves; they will represent Africa very well.
However, a journalist with the Sun newspapers, Romanus Ugwu, called on Nigerians not to expect too much from the Super Eagles in the competition.
“You are aware that we will be playing the world’s best. It is better Nigerians do not hope on anything and enjoy the Confederations Cup matches.
“My only prayer is that Africa’s representatives in the tournament are not disgraced,’’ Ugwu said.
The Super Eagles will on Thursday afternoon fly to Johannesburg to connect a South African Airways flight to Sao Paulo.
They will then travel to Belo Horizonte for their first match of the 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup tournament against Tahiti on June 17.
Iwobi spoke to Tidesports source ahead of Nigeria’s crunch playoff semi-final against Gabon on Thursday, November 13, in Rabat, Morocco.
The 28-year-old was reacting to Nigeria’s shaky World Cup qualifying campaign that saw the Eagles finish second in Group C behind South Africa’s Bafana Bafana.
“We’ve managed to rescue ourselves from the dead,” Iwobi told Tidesports source.
We know we have the players and the abilities to compete against any other country in the world.”
The Fulham star pointed to Nigeria’s star power, highlighting African Footballer of the Year winners Ademola Lookman and Victor Osimhen as proof of the squad’s quality.
“We have last year’s African best player (Ademola Lookman), the year before that (Victor Osimhen),” he said.
“It’ll be a shame if we don’t make it, but we have a lot of confidence. We just have to prove it to ourselves.”
Nigeria’s path to the United States, Canada and Mexico has been turbulent, with two coaches departing during the early stages of qualifying before Éric Chelle steadied the ship to steer the Super Eagles into November’s CAF playoffs.
Four nations from the continent – Nigeria, Cameroon, DR Congo and Gabon – will vie for a solitary spot to compete in next March’s inter-confederation playoffs, with a view to joining the already nine qualified African nations at the Finals.
It would mark Iwobi’s second appearance at the World Cup Finals and the Super Eagles’ first since the 2018 edition of the competition.
Back then, Iwobi featured in all three games as Nigeria was knocked out in the group stage.
The Chief Executive Officer(CEO) and Publisher of the Atlantic Bell Online medium, Mr. Celestine Ogolo has advised sports writers in Nigeria to diversify in sports writing and not to concentrate on football reporting alone.
The Deputy National President of Sports Writers Association of Nigeria (SWAN) Mr. Bonny Nyong has expressed commitment to support sports development and move SWAN forward.