By Augustine Kalu on December 5, 2016

Former Super Eagles and Abiola Babes of Abeokuta midfield maestro, Friday Ekpo, has expressed excitement over the performance of the national team, the Super Eagles in the ongoing Russia 2018 World Cup Qualifying campaign.

In an exclusive telephone interview with Daily Sports, the former Iwuanyanwu Nationale versatile midfielder said he was happy that the Nigerian lads had been able to rise to the occasion by pocketing the maximum points in their two crucial outings so far even as he challenged them not to be complacent in their remaining games.

He was impressed with the support the Amaju Pinnick led Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has given the team even as he urged the football governing body to sustain the support to the team and their handlers in order to ensure that the sole ticket of Group B is delivered to the country at the end of the World Cup Qualifying campaign.

“First of all I want to say that I am excited with Eagles’ performance so far in the World Cup Qualifying campaign and I want to use this opportunity to thank the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) for their support to the team,” Ekpo stated.

“I also want to thank the players for rising up to the occasion. I am happy that the team has shown that they are hungry and they have self belief which is very good and it is the way to go,” Ekpo explained.

Continuing, Ekpo said, “The players play for each other which is the right thing to do and because of this they are getting the results as far as the World Cup Qualifiers are concerned.

“Whether the defence is suspect or not, the most important thing is that they are getting the desired results and I believe that with time, whatever loopholes that those of us outside of the team may have discovered would be taken care of to enable us get the points that would hand us the World Cup ticket."

Speaking further, the former assistant coach of Akwa United Football Club of Uyo said, “I would like to use this opportunity to call on the Amaju Pinnick led board of the NFF to sustain their support to the team which has made it possible for them to record 100 per cent performance in the World Cup Qualifying campaign so far.

“I am of the opinion that if the football governing body led by Amaju Pinnick, the technical crew led by Gernot Rohr and the team work in harmony, we have all it takes to secure the sole ticket of group B for us to be in Russia in 2018 as we have advantage over other teams in our group for now.

“More importantly, I want to also use this medium to remind everybody involved in this campaign that it is not yet Uhuru. The World Cup Qualifying campaign has just begun and we have not yet reached the half way mark. We still have four games to go; therefore, there should not be any form of complacency in the remaining matches.

“I think that it will be better for us to approach the remaining games as if we are at the bottom of our group with determination to succeed despite all odds. And it is also my belief that before the commencement of the next stage of the campaign next year with Cameroon, all the shortcomings of the team will be corrected by the technical crew,” Ekpo enthused.

•Photo shows Friday Ekpo.

Source Daily Sports

Posted December 5, 2016

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