Daily Independent (Lagos)
Johnson Ayantunji
13 January 2009
Lagos — National Sports Commission (NSC) Director - General, Dr. Patrick Ekeji, has charged the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) to ensure that the Super Eagles not only qualify for the 2010 World Cup but must also reach the semi-final.
Ekeji gave the charge Monday in Abuja after a meeting with concessionaires that expressed interest to manage the sports federation. Ekeji said the leadership of the NFF, which is not to be concessioned, must do all within its powers to qualify for the World Cup in South Africa.
"This is a tall order. They are not just to qualify, but get to the last four. The Nigeria Football Federation has up to June 2010 to put in place a formidable team that will do the nation proud in South Africa," he said.
Also, Ekeji said NSC is not ready to entertain any excuse, as NFF has been given all it requires to qualify for the World Cup.
"There are no two ways about it, Nigeria cannot afford not to be at the World Cup. They know what to do and the sports commission is ready to do whatever they ask for to qualify and excel at the World Cup," he said.
It could be recalled that the Super Eagles failed to qualify for the 2006 FIFA World Cup in Germany and to avoid a repeat of what prevented the Eagles to be in Germany, Ekeji issued the riots act.
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Truly,we can not let those handling the affairs of NFF to go free if Nigeria as the biggest footballing nation in africa fail to take this country to 2010 wold cup in southafrica.We have quality players but it is very hard to know the problem of football in this country.Iam appealing to all nigerians to do anything that ispossible to take this country to the world cup come 2010.