Captain
Mikel John Obi said on Sunday that a united and focused Super Eagles, and a
supportive Nigeria Football Federation, will guarantee the three –time African
champions a place at the 2018 FIFA World Cup finals.
The
Chelsea midfield ace said the ARIK Air plane on the flight back from Ndola that
team solidarity and the maturity of the technical crew have forged a new spirit
in camp, and that the victory over Zambia at the Levy Mwanawasa Stadium on
Sunday that has propelled the Super Eagles to the top of the so –called ‘Group
of Death’ is the beginning of great things to come.
“I
have belief that we can reach new heights with this team. The boys are so
committed that it makes you happy. The coaching crew is made up of very matured
and brilliant people who respect the players. We are onto a good thing.”
Nigeria
won a competitive away game for the first time in 23 months as Alex Iwobi and
Kelechi Iheanacho scored before Collins Mbesuma pulled one back in the Zambian
Copperbelt capital.
Manchester
City of England prodigy Iheanacho has now scored in each of his last four
matches for Nigeria: against Mali in France; Luxembourg in Luxembourg City;
Tanzania in Uyo and; Zambia in Ndola.
A
convivial atmosphere prevailed inside the aircraft during the 4
hour-and-22-minute flight back to Abuja, and the celebration mood heightened
seconds after landing as players, team officials and other officials learnt
that Cameroon’s Indomitable Lions had forced Algeria to a 1-1 draw in the other
match of Group B in Blida.
“We
have a very good chance to qualify for the World Cup if we keep our heads and
play at our best level. Each and every one of us is determined to go to the
World Cup. Now that we are top of the table, we have to remain there.”
The
Zambians had hoped to get Nigeria’s Europe –based contingent rendered weak and
dehydrated with an early afternoon start (2.30pm), but the Eagles approached
the match in a matured manner, not engaging in too much running in the first
half-hour, and then taking their chances without blinking.
At
Saturday’s match coordination meeting, the NFF had requested for water break
periods in view of the early start, and the match commissioner, Alhaji Nuru
Deen Jawula from Ghana, said he would think about it. Eventually, it was not
that necessary, as the Eagles coped well and thwarted the Chipolopolo in front
of their fans.
A
friend who works with the Football Association of Zambia informed said that
50,000 spectators must have squeezed into the 43,000 –capacity Levy Mwanawasa
Stadium. And with President Edgar Chagwa Lungu (said to be a great fan of
Eagles’ captain Mikel Obi and assistant captain Ahmed Musa) arriving a full
hour before kick off, the arena vibrated endlessly.
The
quintet of goalkeeper Kennedy Mweene, Stopilla Sunzu, Nathan Sinkala, Rainford
Kalaba and Collins Mbesuma were familiar faces in the Zambian starting line-up.
But Fwayo Tembo, Chisamba Lungu and Winston Kalengo are also known to be tough
customers.
They
tried to run hard and wear the Eagles down in the 35 -degree heat, but after
surviving the first half-hour, the Nigerian attack stepped up a gear and scored
two brilliant goals in 10 minutes.
Indeed,
the Chipolopolo created more chances, and would not forgive Eagles’ goalie Carl
Ikeme for denying them so many times. As early as the second minute, Ikeme
pushed onto the crossbar a shot from Tembo, and went on to make eight excellent
saves including stopping two close range bullet headers. In fact, skipper
Kalaba thought he had equalized in the 40th minute, after meeting a pull out by
Sinkala with a firm header, only for Ikeme to block.
With
the job seemingly concluded in the first 45 minutes, much against the plan of
the Chipolopolo, the Eagles could afford to take things easy in the second half
and simply plan for counter attacks. Ideye could have made it three if he had
opted for a header as Iheanacho found him in the box, but he attempted a
bicycle kick instead.
Mweene
also had to be alert to a scorching shot from Iwobi and a dipping from Eagles’
skipper Mikel Obi.
In
the end, it was a sweet victory. It was the first time Nigeria would win a
World Cup qualifying match away from home since defeating Ethiopia’s Walya
Antelopes 2-1 in Addis Ababa in October 2013.
The
Super Eagles’ next game is against the Fennecs of Algeria, at the Godswill
Akpabio International Stadium, Uyo on Saturday, 12th November.
0 Comments