Eagles To Play Cote d’Ivoire, Brazil

There will be a tough test for Nigeria’s Super Eagles when they play Cote d’Ivoire in an international friendly match to prepare for their next Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers in September and October this year.

President of Nigeria Football Federation, NFF, Alhaji Aminu Maigari, disclosed that apart from Cote d’Ivoire, the football authority is also planning to set up friendly games against countries like Brazil, Peru and India.

Speaking in Lagos after the Super Falcons and South Africa played a barren draw in an international friendly tie at the Teslim Balogun Stadium, Surulere at the weekend, Maigari said; “We are planning to have four international matches for the Super Eagles as part of their preparation for the Nations Cup qualifiers. We are having countries like Cote d’Ivoire, Peru, Brazil and India in mind and I am sure that these countries, especially Cote d’Ivoire, will give the Eagles a tough challenge.”

Maigari noted that the target of the NFF is to ensure that Nigeria qualify for next year’s Nations Cup and the 2014 FIFA World Cup. He noted that failure to achieve these will be another disaster for Nigerian football.

“We are doing everything to make Nigerians happy. We have a target to fulfil and our target is to see all our national teams represent Africa in FIFA organised championships,” he said.

Reacting to rumours that Brazil may cancel their proposed friendly match with the Eagles slated for August, Maigari said he was shocked when he read the story. He assured that the friendly match against Brazil will hold as scheduled.

“I don’t know where those people got their information. There is no iota of truth in that report. I want Nigerians to disregard the report,” he said.

—Sunday  Akintoye