FIFA 2014 WORLD CUP: Tambuwal Wants Brazil 2014 Preparations to Begin Now

By  Amosun, Uduaghan, Glo, others hail Eagles

Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, has congratulated the players and handlers of the Super Eagles of Nigeria for securing a ticket to the 2014 FIFA World Cup.

In a statement issued in Abuja by his Special Adviser on Media and Public Affairs, Malam Imam Imam, Tambuwal charged soccer administrators in the country to ensure that the team prepares for the global event early so as to make the necessary impact.

Tambuwal said with the experience of the team, they can go all the way and lift the trophy for the first time.
“It is time an African side lifts the trophy, and I am confident that we can be the first African side to win the trophy fir the continent,” he added.

Similarly, Ogun State Governor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun, praised the Super Eagles and their handlers on their 2-0 win over Ethiopia, to qualify for the Brazil 2014 edition of the World Cup.

Governor Amosun noted that being the first African team to qualify for the finals, and coming on the heels of the U17 Golden Eaglets’ World Cup victory, the players and indeed Nigeria are being given another shot at history.
In a press release signed by his Senior Special Assistant on Media, Mrs Funmi Wakama, Amosun urged the Super Eagles to be more determined than ever before to win the World Cup. He said their qualification has again demonstrated the unique position and supremacy of Nigeria in sports in general and football in particular.

“With the 4-1 aggregate win over Ethiopia and as the first African team to qualify from the continent, we have again demonstrated that as a people, we are unstoppable and that with determination, hard work and team spirit, we can achieve a lot. History once again beckons, the Super Eagles must grab this opportunity with both hands.” the governor said.

He expressed happiness at the victory and urged the Super Eagles not to see their qualification as an end in itself but a means to a glorious end.

Delta State Governor, Emmanuel Uduaghan has congratulated Nigerians on the qualification and called for more training by the team to ensure that the team is well blended to enable Eagles win the cup.

Speaking to Journalists in Warri shortly after watching the world cup qualifying match between the Super Eagles of Nigeria and the Antelopes of Ethiopia, Governor Uduaghan observed that the Super Eagles put up a good play observing that the Coach of the National Team, Stephen Keshi must have adopted a different approach to the game to ensure that they check the Ethiopians.

“Football is about strategy, the strategy of the Super Eagles was to win and they won, we should congratulate them,” the Governor said, adding: “We must understand that the Ethiopians were very hard players, they had a lot of stamina and Super Eagles Coach, Stephen Keshi must have adopted an approach to win the game.”
“We are excited that we have qualified for the World Cup, this is a great victory coming shortly after the Under 17 team brought the world cup to Nigeria,” the Governor said, reiterating, “we are set to conquer the world in football.”

Ahead of the 2014 world cup, Governor Uduaghan called on Stephen Keshi not to relax after the qualification but should ensure that the team is well blended to enable them win the world cup in 2014, stating that efforts should be made to also ensure that the foreign based players are released to enable them train and be well blended before the commencement of the world cup.

Bauchi State Governor,Malam  Isa Yuguda has congratulated the team for the feat describing the qualification as another milestone in the soccer history of the country as contained in a press release issued and signed by his Chief Press Secretary, Ishola Michael Adeyemi.

Yuguda opined that the qualification of the National team for the World cup barely one week after the Golden Eaglets won the FIFA U-17 World cup in UAE is a confirmation that the country has now come of age in the world soccer scene.

The sports loving Isa Yuguda added that, “I never doubted the abilities of the team in qualifying for the mundial following the series of matches they played right from the African Nations Cup which they won convincingly in South Africa earlier this year”.

Kwara State Governor, Alhaji Abdulfatah Ahmed,also praised the team  for the qualification.
Ahmed who spoke through his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Communications (SSA) Dr. Muideen Akorede, yesterday in Ilorin said that, the performances of the team since the campaign for world cup started has justified the victory of the team to be in Brazil next year.

While Nigerian national football team’s major sponsor, Globacom has described 2013 as a good year for Nigerian football.
In a press release issued by the company on Saturday, immediately after the match,  Globacom said Nigeria started the year on a high and ended it on a high.

In the statement entitled “Triple Congratulations to a Blessed Nation”, Globacom said “by winning the African Cup of Nations in January, the Under 17 World Cup just last week and now qualifying for the World Cup, Nigeria’s football is clearly on the ascendancy.”

Also reacting to the victory, the President of the Athletic Federation of Nigeria (AFN), Chief Solomon Ogba, who watched the match with the Governor of Delta State, described the victory as victory for Nigerians, emphasizing, “as a Nigerian, I am very happy that we have qualified for the world cup. During the Under 17 world cup in United Arab Emirates, every black man identified with Nigeria whenever we were playing and we are happy that the Super Eagles have qualified for the world.”

The organisers of the Nigerian Sports Award (NSA) has commended Super Eagles head Coach  Stephen Keshi  who is one of the nominees for the Coach of the Year category of the award for leading Nigeria to qualify for the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil.

According to Kayode Idowu, General Manager, Unmissable Incentives Limited organisers of the award commended Keshi and his squad for their brilliant performance in ensuring that the country flag will be hoisted in Brazil next year.

“Football is one of the unifying factors in the country and Keshi and his boys have united the country with this world cup qualification. The team started well and ended well. Keshi has not only demonstrated quality of a good coach but a good leader as well,” Idowu said.