Leadership (Abuja)
Seba Osoko
8 November 2009
Lagos — If there is a team that has found home in Nigeria it is the Switzerland side. The Europeans who are making their debut in the tournament have stolen the souls of Lagos fans with their impressive performance.
With an unblemished record, the Swiss team enjoys a massive support in Lagos which it can only get back home in Berne. After destroying a resilient German team in a heart-throbbing encounter of high drama with two red cards and extra time, the Swiss were finally accepted by the Lagos fans as their own. "We are going to support the Swiss team for the cup" an elated fan Raymond Ihenacho waving the Swiss flag said after Wednesday's crunch against the Germans. When reminded of Nigeria's presence in the tournament, he responded "And so what. We will support the Swiss against any team because they have given us value for our money and time"Indeed, the Europeans have not only given fans moments to remember in this tournament, they have also surprised bookmakers who considered them outsiders for the trophy.
In a competition featuring such battle-hardened teams like Brazil, Mexico, Argentina and hosts Nigeria, the Swiss were not considered as contenders. But as the tournament wore on they waxed stronger crushing Mexico, Japan, Brazil and in the round of sixteen Germany. Now with a berth in the quarter-finals, the Swiss look sweet for the trophy. Veteran sports journalist Segun Adenuga believes the Swiss are good enough to win the tournament. "In football any thing is possible but then the Swiss should no longer be dismissed as a team in the tournament just to make the numbers. They are here to win and with the team's technical depth, it would be difficult for any team to stop them now" To get to the quarter-finals, the Swiss have encountered the most difficult opposition and on two occasions were on the verge of losing. Japan which turned out to be the whipping boy of Group B led the Europeans 2-0 before they were trounced 4-3 during the preliminaries. Against the Germans, they lost a man just three minutes before regulation time while scores were 1-1.
But they shot into the lead with 10 men only for the Germans to respond with a quick equalizer. The Germans too had a player red-carded. The Swiss struck twice before the Germans scored a late minute 3rd goal . Lagos fans were so impressed that they stayed back in the stadium cheering the victorious Swiss who responded by doing a lap of honour round the pitch. Samson Olayinka said the Swiss had done enough to enjoy the support of the Lagos fans throughout this tournament. "In Lagos, we have not seen a more complete team than the Swiss team. They play a very matured game and that is what we enjoy as fee paying fans" Olayinka said he would also root for the Swiss in the event that they confronted Golden Eaglets. "We support the team that satisfies our yearning for good football. There is nothing like our national team in football. Didn't fans boo Super Eagles in Abuja against Mozambique?
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