Sports
FIFA World Cup: Nigeria Camp Creates Slogan For CAR
The Super Eagles’ camp has come up with an interesting slogan of ‘4 Days, 2 Matches, 6 Points’ ahead of FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 encounters against the Les Fauves of the Central African Republic, scheduled for Lagos, Nigeria on Thursday and Douala, Cameroon on Sunday.
Within the four days, the Group C encounters of Days 3 and 4 between both teams will be accomplished, with the CAR hosting the return in Cameroon’s coastal city after the Confederation of African Football ruled that no football field in the Central African Republic is fit and proper for international matches.
The slogan is a manifestation of the aspiration of the three–time African cham-pions to collect all six points in the two matches over the four days, that will ease their passage into the single knockout round of the qualifying race to Qatar.
Skipper Ahmed Musa said: “We have a mission, which is to collect all the six points from the two matches and make things easier for ourselves in the last two matches against Liberia and Cape Verde. Then, we can focus on the knockout matches of March next year.”
All 23 players invited by Technical Adviser Gernot Rohr are now at the Eko Hotels & Suites, Victoria Island following the arrival on Tuesday evening of goalkeeper Maduka Okoye.
The Nigerian contingent will fly into Douala on Saturday morning, for the game that will start at 2pm Cameroon time on Sunday, and fly to Abuja immediately after the game.
Thursday’s encounter will start at 5pm. The Confederation of African Football has permitted the NFF to admit only 5,000 spectators at the game inside the Teslim Balogun Stadium.
The championship will run from today to October 12 at the International Conference Centre, Umuahia. On the ground for the championship are athletes from Brazil, Peru, Egypt, Cameroon, Tunisia, Nigeria, Mauritius and Rwanda. They arrived on Sunday.
Some of the other countries were expected in the Abia State capital yesterday. Speaking on the championship, yesterday, Abia State Commissioner for Youth and Sports Development, Nwobilor Ananaba, said the chief host, Governor Alex Otti, has mobilised facilities and the personnel to ensure a successful event.
Speaking through the Special Assistant to the Governor on Sports, Raymond Chima Ukwa, said: “We have the best mats, playing mats, especially the wheelchair playing mats, which is the first of its kind in West Africa.
“If you go around, you’ll see the hall and the preparation that has been made to ensure that people have an equitable world-class playing field.” Thrilled by Governor Otti’s support for the competition, Badminton Federation of Nigeria (BFN) President, Francis Orbih, said that, besides making all the necessary arrangements that will ensure a successful hosting of the events, “we will have a Para-Badminton workshop for coaches and players.
“Nigeria is doing well, Abia is doing well, and we want to do better to improve on where we are, which is why all these have been put together by Governor Otti.”
Nigeria’s Flying Eagles began their campaign at the 24th FIFA U20 World Cup with a narrow 1–0 loss to Norway on Monday, despite creating several opportunities to level the game.
Norway took the lead in the 9th minute after being awarded a controversial penalty. The Flying Eagles pressed for an equaliser but were denied two penalty claims in the second half.
Kparobo Arierhi came close in the 47th minute when his shot drifted wide with the goalkeeper beaten, while Tahir Maigana struck the upright in the 63rd minute.
Nasiru Salihu’s rising effort in the 71st minute also went narrowly over the bar, drawing gasps from the crowd.
Seven minutes from time, Maigana again tested Norway with a long-range strike that went just wide as Nigeria continued to pile on the pressure.
Despite their dominance, the Flying Eagles could not find the breakthrough and now turn their attention to Thursday’s clash against Saudi Arabia in their second group match.
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