………calls for improved performance in round of 16
By Adebayo Abubakar
The Nigeria Pillar of Sports, Chief Donatus Agu-Ejidike has congratulated the Super Eagles of Nigeria for booking the ticket for the round-of-16, at the ongoing African Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Cote d’Ivoire.
Ejidike gave the congratulatory message on Monday evening, in an interaction with some Sports writers at the departure lounge of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, shortly after the match.
The Super Eagles who competed in group A, booked their ticket for the knockout stage, following an unbeaten run in the group stage of the competition, where they played a 1-1 draw with the “Nzalang Nacional of Equatorial Guinea; a famous 1-0 victory against the host the Elephants of Cote d’Ivoire, and a 1-0 win against the weeping team of the group, the Djurtus of Guinea Bissau, on Monday.
The solitary goal that separated the Super Eagles from the Nzalang Nacionals was an own goal by a Guinea Bissau defender, Opa Sandgate. Nigeria finished 2nd in the group, tied on 7 points with Equatorial Guinea, who have superior goal difference. Nigeria will have to wait for the end of the group stage matches, to know their next opponent, as there will be four slots for the four best losers among those who come third in each of the groups.
In the final match of the group on Monday, the Super Eagles created, but missed, a lot of scoring chances, especially in the second half, with two disallowed goals. It was against the backdrop of those missed scoring chances that the Nnewi-born business mogul charges the Eagles to put up improved performances in their subsequent matches, if they must meet the expectationsh of the over 200 million soccer-crazy Nigerians who are rooting for them to win the title for the 4th time.
The Anambra-born Sports philanthropist commended the team for defying all odds, and getting the needed results to come this far, but calls for concentration, and determination on the part of the players, to justify their selections, over and above thousands of other equally talented Nigerians, to don the national colour. He reckons, there is little or no margin for errors in the knockout stage as there may be no room to correct any mistake, but he expresses the belief that the team, with the right attitude, can go all the way to the final and win the cup for the fourth time.
End.
