PRESIDENT of the Nigeria Football Federation, Mr. Amaju Melvin Pinnick, has hailed Super Eagles players for putting up unusual fighting spirit to keep Nigeria’s hope of qualifying for next year’s African Nations Cup tournament alive.
Super Eagles scored two unanswered goals in a match that saw returne Ikechukwu Uche, Vincemt Enyema, Chelsea star Mikel Obi and China based Aaron Samuel stand for the Nigerian side.
Pinnick said the players exhibited “extraordinary fighting spirit, rare dedication and total commitment,” which he hopes the would sustain in all their matches in future.pi
The match was played in the Congolese city of Pointe Noire.
Ikechukwu Uche and Aaron Samuel scored the goals that separated the two teams.
Nogeria is now occupying second position in the log in Group A with a qualification to AFCON 2015 once victory is achieved in their next match against South Africa in Uyo on Wednesday.
Nigeria earned only one point from their first three matches of the campaign after defeat to Congo in Calabar, a draw with South Africa in Cape Town and defeat by Sudan in Khartoum.
“I cannot commend you enough for making Nigeria proud, through your fighting spirit and the patriotic fervour with which you approached the game. It was a difficult environment in its entirety but you were not deterred, and that must be our guiding philosophy from now on,” Pinnick said as he appreciated the players.
Nigeria’s 100-man contingent was shabbily treated throughout their stay in Pointe Noire by the Congolese hosts, but praise must go to that country’s security operatives who rose to the occasion to forestall a planned attack after the Red Devils were beaten.
“Apart from being denied access to our team’s only training session, our delegation was not given any match ticket, contrary to the regulations, and our accompanying media were denied accreditation to the match.
“But we are all happy that we could sing after the match. You have simply turned the campaign around for the better and we look forward to finishing the qualifying campaig on a high note in Uyo on Wednesday,” the NFF boss added.
This year’s arrangement is a reversal of what happened in the last quarter of 1992, when in their qualification campaign for the 1994 FIFA World Cup, the Super Eagles battered the Bafana Bafana in Nigeria before traveling to Pointe Noire to defeat the Red Devils.
The NFF has however ordered the immediate and special treatment for Eagles’ duo Azubuike Egwuekwe and Hope Akpan, who were injured during the game. As the team was landing in Uyo, Akpan was conveyed in a special ambulance to the Government House clinic for another x-ray, while the team’s Doctor, Ibrahim Gyaran, was told to ensure Egwuekwe got all necessary treatment to be fit for Wednesday’s decider.
Reading FC of England’s Akpan, a native of Akwa Ibom, twisted his left arm while Egwuekwe had a cut just above the left eye.
Meanwhile, in a related development, Pinnick has expressed appreciation to every Nigerian who contributed to the Super Eagles’ victory over Congo in Pointe Noire on Saturday.
