Malam Nasir Danladi Bako, chairman of the Nigeria 2010 Nations Cup Bid committee, was resplendent in his white agbada as he lolled inside the departure hall of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos on Thursday night. He showed confidence, but he admitted that the race was no walkover because the countries in the southern region were ganging up to hand it to Mozambique.

A few years ago, Mozambique was ravaged by a rampant flood that was only brought to control by the international community. How can such a country be aiming to host the African Cup of Nations?

"I can understand it myself, but the gang-up is there alright. We have noticed it. In fact, the other countries in the southern region are understating their bids now so as to give Mozambique the free route. But we're not impressed by such tactics and we'll make a powerful presentation that will convince Caf", said Bako, who will make Nigeria's presentation before the members of the Caf Executive Committee this morning.

Nigeria's Dr Amos Adamu is a member of the 13-man Caf exco, and is also vice-chairman of the Nigeria Bid.

"Surely we have to pull our weight as much as we can since the other countries have resorted to this kind of tactics", added Bako, former Director-General of the Nigeria Broadcasting Commission. The Caf set up a two-man panel, including Ivory Coast's Simplice-Zinsou and South Africa's Danny Jordaan to draw up criteria for the selection, and Jordaan, who got South Africa the 2010 World Cup finals after a seven-year campaign that took him round the planet, forced zone issue into the criteria.

"It means that when we begin presentation, the southern African region that has only hosted once before (South Africa 1996) will be 10 points ahead of the candidates from other regions. That is not fair enough, but we're hinging our campaign on facilities on ground, language, football culture and organizational ability (demonstrated at various levels in the past 11 years) and football icons. You need football icons in a nation for it to be able to host a wonderful Nations Cup.

"You have to be able to feel the stands. A country that has no football icon will not be able to put people in the stands. Who can we talk about in Mozambique? If they host and get eliminated in the first round, the tournament is effectively over.

"The Nations Cup has become much bigger than an event that could be left to chance. I assure you that we would do our best to push our case".

Nigeria is up against Senegal, Libya, Angola, Zimbabwe, Namibia, Mozambique and a joint bid from Equatorial Guinea and Gabon in the first round of presentation today. The Caf exco will reduce the field to three after today's presentation, and on September 14, another round of presentation will come up at Caf's Cairo headquarters, where the winner will be announced.

On board the Egypt Air flight on Thursday night for the mission were Bako, Dr Adamu, experienced Caf match commissioner and instructor Bolaji Ojo-Oba, former television journalist Mainasara Iloh and Inuwa Barbura.