Most Super Eagles players and officials could not catch their sleep on Saturday night when it was announced late that the flight has been rescheduled for 7:30am Sudan time, which is 5:30 Nigerian time on Sunday morning. The plane had been schedule to leave Khartoum, one and half hours after the match.
To them it was like a dream that they have lost a crucial qualifier to Sudan and have only been able to garner one point from a possible nine. One could see the players moving up and down the Grand Holiday Inn abode, hissing and cursing. Officials too were not left out as some of them chose to stay at the hotel lobby instead of the comfort of their rooms till departure time for the airport.
“Yes, I agree that myself, my assistants and most of the players could not sleep. It’s like a dream to us”, confessed Head Coach Stephen Keshi.
In their pain, the NFF leadership represented by Vice President, Barr Sey Akinwunmi, Chief Felix Anyansi Agwu and HOD Technical, Dr Emmanuel Ikpeme, were on hand to sooth their nerves.
Akinwunmi, who spoke first, said he was more hurt at the loss to Sudan than the players but urged them to quickly forget the past and concentrate on Wednesday’s game. “We can mourn from now till Wednesday but it does not change anything, we must look ahead not behind, because Nigerian football is replete with happenings like this and at the end the team comes out victorious”.
Adding his voice, Anyansi-Agwu recalled that the first year Enyimba Fc of Aba, of which he is also Chairman won the CAF Champions League, they lost one of their group games scandalously to Ismaila of Egypt 6-1. “Your captain Enyeama, was in goal in that match, but at the end of the day we managed to qualify and met the same Ismaila of Egypt in the final and defeated them to win the Cup, so we must take away the positives and concentrate on our remaining matches which we must win instead of mopping over this loss”.
He said the NFF will continue to support the team to ensure that not only will Nigerian flag be hoisted in Morocco but the trophy will be retained.
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