Emeka Enechi
29 January 2008
Ghana — Rising from a no holds bared session on the future of the team at the on going Confederation of African Football (CAF) Nations Cup tournament, Super Eagles players resolved to erase Nigerians' tears caused by their unpardonable performances against Cote d'Ivoire and Mali by winning the group's last match against Benin Republic in Sekondi Takoradi.
The players who confirmed to THISDAYSports of inundated unanimous phone calls and threat text messages warning them not to attempt returning to Nigeria after crashing out woeful at the event saying they risk being lynched by irate Nigerians. Nigerians back home THISDAYSports learnt have been expressing displeasure over the lackadaisical performance of the team which they described as the worst since 1982.
The story is the same with other Nigerians who travelled to support the team in Ghana, but who have also suggested that the team be sanctioned for disappointing the country without resistance.
However, assistant captain of the team Joseph Yobo told our correspondent in Sekondi Takoradi that despite the spurious attacks and condemnation of the team, the players' had resolved to do the country proud by winning its remaining match against Benin Republic this evening. Yobo who said in football anything is possible said Nigeria could still qualify despite the team's standing on the group's table.
His words: "We are being crucified because we have not done well in the tournament. It would have been the same assuming we have excelled since the beginning of the tournament. We've taken everything in good stead and we are still hopeful that we will do well. Football is not mathematics where 1 + 1 is 2 but we wait and see what happens in the end."
On the possibility of the team getting beyond the first stage, the assistant captain said nobody can rightly predict what will happen in today's match saying that the group's qualifiers will have to wait till the end of the evenings matches.
"We know we have done well this time but we also know that it is not yet over till the end of the matches this evening."
Against this backdrop, Yobo said the team will have no excuse not beating Benin in today's match.
"We have had terrible outing in this year's tournament but I don't think we will have excuses if we fail to win a match in the tournament. As a result, the players are more than ever united to deliver the goods in today's match."
Be the first to Write a Comment!
Copyright © 2008 This Day. All rights reserved. Distributed by AllAfrica Global Media (allAfrica.com). To contact the copyright holder directly for corrections — or for permission to republish or make other authorized use of this material, click here.
AllAfrica aggregates and indexes content from over 125 African news organizations, plus more than 200 other sources, who are responsible for their own reporting and views. Articles and commentaries that identify allAfrica.com as the publisher are produced or commissioned by AllAfrica.
