By Albert Akota
African champions, Nigeria have the quality to torpedo France from the 2014 FIFA World Cup, so says President of Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), Aminu Mohammed Maigari.
The 58 years old has presided over Nigeria football for the past four years and is excited at the litany of records his board has set on and off the pitch. “We are not done yet. I can tell you that the Super Eagles will overcome France on Monday and that will be another glorious record,” he said as he flew out of Sao Paulo to Brasilia on Sunday morning.
On Wednesday, as Maigari celebrated his birthday, the Super Eagles had a marvelous game against two time world champions Argentina to qualify for the FIFA World Cup Round of 16 for the first time in 16 years, and defeat of France on Monday will mean a first ever World Cup quarter final for the world’s most populous black nation.
“I have confidence that we will beat France. If you have followed our campaign well, you would notice that we have improved match after match. We came close to upsetting Argentina in Porto Alegre. We do not fear France,” Maigari told a horde of media men at the local wing of Guarulhos Airport.
The Eagles have become a much better brand over the past two years, on the back of collective hard work by the Federation, players and technical crew and a diligence that has ensured 26 friendly matches for the team since they left the 2010 FIFA World Cup finals in South Africa with damp wings.
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