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| Super Eagles |
The Super Eagles arrived in Windhoek, the capital of Namibia
on Friday and immediately moved to the stately Country Club Resort Windhoek.
They will be there for six days, training for the 2014 FIFA
World Cup qualifier against Namibia’s Brave Warriors on Wednesday and the 2013
FIFA Confederations Cup tournament that begins in Brazil on Saturday.
On Thursday night, the delegation was hosted to a sumptuous
dinner at the Nigeria House in Nairobi by Ambassador Akin Oyateru.
At dinner, Ambassador Oyateru, who also served as Nigeria’s
High Commissioner to Namibia in the 1990s, urged the team to show similar guts
and go-go spirit as they did against the Harambee Stars at Kasarani on
Wednesday.
“This is a big opportunity for myself and other officials of
the Nigeria High Commission here. You really made us proud. We all have faith
in you and you have shown what you can do by rejuvenating our football with
that triumph at the Africa Cup of Nations in South Africa. And you have not let
us down since then.
“Go to Windhoek and conquer so that our path to the 2014
FIFA World Cup finals will become even clearer.”
Super Eagles’ Head Coach, Stephen Keshi, praised the Nigeria
mission in Nairobi for their love for the team, adding that the Nigeria
Football Federation deserved plaudits for the team’s progress.
Wednesday’s match will start at 8pm at the Sam Nujoma
Stadium, which has an artificial turf.
World football-governing body, FIFA has appointed Eritrean
official, Mensur Maeruf Kherseed as the Referee for the match. He will be
assisted by compatriot Berhe Tesfagiorghis O’Michael (1st Assistant Referee),
Djiboutian Hassan Egueh Yacin (2nd Assistant Referee) and Eritrean Luelseghed
Ghebremichael as Fourth Official. Mady Kanoso Bora from Madagascar is the
Referee Assessor while Ugandan Abbasi Ssendyowa is the Match Commissioner.
Meanwhile, the NFF President, Alhaji Aminu Maigari has
charged the Super Eagles not to lose focus of three points
in Namibia next week after scooping the maximum points against Kenya in Nairobi
on Wednesday. They landed in the Namibian capital around 10.35am local time.
“It is important that we keep our focus. There are no longer
small teams in international football and I believe you will approach the match
with your usual seriousness and total dedication, which saw to the fall of the
Harambee Stars.”
Top officials of the Nigeria High Commission in Windhoek,
including Ambassador Nath Olorunfemi, received the Super Eagles on their
arrival on Friday, and the High Commissioner immediately assured the team and
the NFF of adequate support before, during and after the match with the Brave
Warriors.
“We will mobilize all Nigerians in Windhoek, through the
Nigeria community, to come to the Stadium on match day and support you,”
Olorunfemi said.
Nigeria top Group F of the African series for the 2014 FIFA
World Cup with eight points, and will qualify for the two-leg final qualifying
fixture if they win on Wednesday and Malawi fail to beat Kenya in Blantyre same
day.
Malawi have six points, followed by Namibia with four, and
Kenya have only two points.
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