Director General of the National Sports Commission, Gbenga Elegbeleye has received the news of Nigeria playing against Ethiopia in the play-off of the 2014 World Cup with happiness and heaved a sigh of relief that the Super Eagles avoided strong football playing nations like Cameroon, Tunisia and Egypt.
Elegbeleye, however urged the Stephen Keshi tutored team to treat the 2014 World Cup play-off match against Ethiopia with all the seriousness the two-legged matches deserves in order to ensure Nigeria book her place in the finals of the Mundial in Brazil.
The former lawmaker who received the news of the final play-off of the 2014 World Cup pitching Nigeria against Ethiopia with happiness was quick to warn that the Eagles must not underrate the Ethiopians who according to him are a strong side as far as African football is concerned.
“This pairing is nice if we consider the fact that we were able to avoid big names in African football lilke Cameroon, Egypt, Cote d’Ivoire and Ghana but that doesn’t mean that we will stroll on Ethiopia to get the World Cup ticket, no not at all.
“We all watched how well the Ethiopians played against the Super Eagles in the last group match of the last Africa Cup of Nations in South Africa which eventually ended 2-0 in Nigeria’s favour with Victor Moses slotting home the two spot kicks but if not for the individual brilliance of Moses the Ethiopians almost held Nigeria to a stalemate because they were able to absorb all the attacking pressures from the Eagles then.
“I believe we have the edge and quality players in the Eagles to deliver the World Cup ticket by beating Ethiopia home and away. But it is not going to be easy but the Nigerian team is capable of doing that.
“I am also using this medium to assure the Nigeria Football Federation and the entire Super Eagles team and their technical crew led by Stephen Keshi that the National Sports Commission will do all we can to support the team to achieve this lofty ambition of qualifying for the 2014 World Cup in Brazil. I am confident by the grace of God that Nigeria will be among the teams that will campaign in the global football competition in Brazil”, Elegbeleye assured.
