By Victor Enyinnaya on January 31, 2018

President-General of Nigeria Football Supporters Club (NFSC), Dr. Rafiu Ladipo, has patted the Home-based Eagles on the back for their resilient showing at the ongoing Africa Championship (CHAN) in Morocco. He said that he saw the depth of the team right from their first game against Rwanda and is not surprised on their steady stabilisation as the football summit drags.

According to Ladipo in an exclusive conversation with Daily Sports on Tuesday in Lagos, after the barren game, he told people close to him that many it may look a bad start from the lad but to him the team would pick up “and that is exactly what we are seeing in the CHAN 2018 team and so would it be until the final whistle for this year’s CHAN.”

The seasoned administrator insists that the Home-based Eagles would turn back their Sudanese counterparts in the semi-final game today, remarking that it is too late for the Nigerians to retreat or surrender.

“Yes, football is no mathematics and also a game of upsets, but Eagles players and their technical crew have learnt a lot from the tournament and so would put everything in the match to ensure Sudan would not cut short their stay in Morocco. It is yet another match where vigilance, proactive bench and the fittest would be the watch word of Salisu Yusuf and his boys as the team is set to fly over the invaders,” he said.   

Ladipo advised the team not to either over- or under-rate the Sudanese team who will come all out to attempt an upset. He said that he foresaw another difficult game in terms of the Eagles being careful to size up their day’s opponent decisively before going all out for the kill.

His words: “The Eagles have reached state of no return and at this juncture won’t play second fiddle.

“I’m very convinced that Coach Salisu Yusuf, his crew and players are very much aware of the importance of the match at hand, how much importance fans and government here attached to it and such would spur the Nigerians to high heaven and then put in everything to it to come out tops. It is the kind of match the Nigerian side would like to redouble their efforts in their spirited bid to make their fatherland proud and then take it from there. The lads are so determined to change the cause of history so CHAN and Nigeria is concern.

“We witnessed game against Angola at the quarter-finals and it is only a focused team would performance that feat the Eagles displayed that night. The never say die spirit of the squad was so dripping and any team that come across the Nigerians would have that at the back of its mind and would put extra energy and strategy to see how far it will go.

“I envisage that Sudan without any prejudice won’t stop us. However, having reached this stage meant the central African side is not push over too. That is therefore where the gritty, exposure and sundry of the Nigerians will come into play to move it forward to the next stage.”

•Photo shows NFSC President-General, Dr. Rafiu Ladipo.

Source Daily Sports

Posted January 31, 2018

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