Nigeria, Burkina Faso friendly to hold in Kaduna
The Super Eagles will face their Afcon final
opponents in a warm up match on Tuesday as both teams await the final
World Cup play-offs
Fresh from their soul-lifting
progress into the final round of the 2014 Fifa World Cup qualification
series, African champions Nigeria and runners up Burkina Faso will clash
in a high-profile international friendly at the Ahmadu Bello Stadium,
Kaduna on Tuesday evening.
The Super Eagles did the expected by seeing off
Malawi 2-0 in Calabar in one of the final matches of Africa’s group
phase attrition on Saturday, meaning they reach the 10-team final battle
easily, consigning the Flames to seven points and second place in the
pool.
Only group winners are eligible for the Draw in Cairo on Monday next week.
Despite being docked points for fielding an
ineligible player earlier in the campaign, the Etalons picked up
efficiently, winning in Niger and Congo-Brazzaville before pipping Gabon
1-0 in Ouagadougou on Saturday to finish top of their pool.
Scenes of supreme glee took over the streets of
Ouagadougou and other major Burkinabe cities on Saturday after news
filtered in that rivals Congo could only draw in Niamey, leaving the
Etalons to emerge group winners.
On Sunday, the Super Eagles flew into Abuja and
then connected Kaduna immediately. They are expected to train at the
Ahmadu Bello Stadium on Monday.
First half stoppage-time goal by Emmanuel Emenike,
who connected an intelligent chip from Ogenyi Onazi, and a
smartly-converted penalty by Victor Moses six minutes into the second
period, took the wind off the sails of the Malawians and sent the full
house at the U. J. Esuene Stadium into raptures.
Governor Liyel Imoke, CON, Director General of the
National Sports Commission, Hon. Gbenga Elegbeleye, Senator Adamu Gumba
(Senate Commitee on Sports chairman), Hon. Godfrey Gaiya (House
Committee on Sports chairman), NFF President Aminu Maigari and
representative of Otunba (Dr) Mike Adenuga Jnr of Globacom, Charles
Genarius and Members of the NFF Executive Committee and Management
watched from the State Box as the Super Eagles played a calm, confident
and sure-footed game on a wet pitch.
Maigari gave kudos to the African champions as his
Board countenances a ticket to the 2014 FIFA World Cup finals to add to a
litany of achievements and accomplishments in the past three years.
“The boys deserve commendation for the way and
manner they approached the match. At no time did it look like they would
allow Malawi into the game. They played with confidence and assurance.
That is the stuff of champions.
“I have no doubt that we will earn the ticket to the 2014 FIFA World Cup finals,” he concluded.
NFF General Secretary, Barrister Musa Amadu, said
on Sunday: “The Nigeria Football Federation has arranged the match
against Burkina Faso to prepare the Super Eagles for the final
elimination round, which comes up in October and November. We expect to
play our first leg away and then play the return at home.
“We are truly delighted to be in the final round,
and we believe the Super Eagles will do the nation proud by picking one
of the five tickets to represent Africa at next year’s FIFA World Cup in
Brazil.”
Tuesday’s game is a sort of replica of the 2013
Africa Cup of Nations final, which the Super Eagles dominated and
eventually won 1-0 in Soccercity, Johannesburg.
If there are no changes at the top of the African
table in the FIFA rankings to be released on Thursday, Cote d’Ivoire,
Ghana, Algeria, Nigeria and Cape Verde (who shocked Tunisia in Rades)
will be in the Pot A (seeded teams) for the 10-team final elimination
round Draw in Cairo on Monday next week, while Burkina Faso, Cameroon,
Egypt, Senegal and Ethiopia will be in Pot B.
The Super Eagles can only be drawn against any of the teams in Pot B.
Egypt, Cape Verde, Burkina Faso likely opponents of Nigeria in play-offs
The Super Eagles are set to meet any of five
illustrious African teams when the draws for the final stage of
qualifying for Brazil 2014 is made on September 16
Nigeria could meet any one of five big teams in the
final play-off round in order to qualify for the 2014 Fifa World Cup
Brazil when the draws are made on September 16.
The Super Eagles topped Group F of qualifying on Saturday after defeating Malawi 2-0 in Calabar.
According to Fifa, the top five-ranked Caf teams
that make it to the final round will be drawn against the other five
qualifiers. Ranked fifth by Fifa, the African champions could meet
Egypt, Cape Verde, Burkina Faso or Ethiopia in the final round that will
take place in October and November.
Ethiopia topped Group A after edging out South
Africa in a tantalising final match day as they won 2-1 away in the
Central African Republic.
Cape Verde were the surprise winners of Group B as
they defeated Tunisia 2-0 away from home in Rades. The Blue Sharks will
face 180 minutes of football to make it to their first ever World Cup.
Burkina Faso also waited till the last day to
Eagles, Etalons tango in Kaduna
Fresh from soul-lifting progress into the final
elimination round of the 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification series,
African champions Nigeria and African vice champions Burkina Faso clash
in a high-profile international friendly at the Ahmadu Bello Stadium,
Kaduna on Tuesday evening.
The Super Eagles did the expected by seeing off
Malawi 2-0 in Calabar in one of the final matches of Africa’s group
phase attrition on Saturday, meaning they reach the 10-team final battle
easily, consigning the Flames to seven points and second place in the
pool.
Only group winners are eligible for the Draw in Cairo on Monday next week.
Despite being docked points for fielding an
ineligible player earlier in the campaign, the Etalons picked up
efficiently, winning in Niger and Congo-Brazzaville before pipping Gabon
1-0 in Ouagadougou on Saturday to finish top of their pool.
Scenes of supreme glee took over the streets of
Ouagadougou and other major Burkinabe cities on Saturday after news
filtered in that rivals Congo could only draw in Niamey, leaving the
Etalons to emerge group winners.
On Sunday, the Super Eagles flew into Abuja and
then connected Kaduna immediately. They are expected to train at the
Ahmadu Bello Stadium on Monday.
First half stoppage-time goal by Emmanuel Emenike,
who connected an intelligent chip from Ogenyi Onazi, and a
smartly-converted penalty by Victor Moses six minutes into the second
period, took the wind off the sails of the Malawians and sent the full
house at the U. J. Esuene Stadium into raptures.
Governor Liyel Imoke, CON, Director General of the
National Sports Commission, Hon. Gbenga Elegbeleye, Senator Adamu Gumba
(Senate Commitee on Sports chairman), Hon. Godfrey Gaiya (House
Committee on Sports chairman), NFF President Aminu Maigari and
representative of Otunba (Dr) Mike Adenuga Jnr of Globacom, Charles
Genarius and Members of the NFF Executive Committee and Management
watched from the State Box as the Super Eagles played a calm, confident
and sure-footed game on a wet pitch.
Maigari gave kudos to the African champions as his
Board countenances a ticket to the 2014 FIFA World Cup finals to add to a
litany of achievements and accomplishments in the past three years.
“The boys deserve commendation for the way and
manner they approached the match. At no time did it look like they would
allow Malawi into the game. They played with confidence and assurance.
That is the stuff of champions.
“I have no doubt that we will earn the ticket to the 2014 FIFA World Cup finals.”
NFF General Secretary, Barrister Musa Amadu, said
on Sunday: “The Nigeria Football Federation has arranged the match
against Burkina Faso to prepare the Super Eagles for the final
elimination round, which comes up in October and November. We expect to
play our first leg away and then play the return at home.
“We are truly delighted to be in the final round,
and we believe the Super Eagles will do the nation proud by picking one
of the five tickets to represent Africa at next year’s FIFA World Cup in
Brazil.”
Tuesday’s game is a sort of replica of the 2013
Africa Cup of Nations final, which the Super Eagles dominated and
eventually won 1-0 in Soccercity, Johannesburg.
If there are no changes at the top of the African
table in the FIFA rankings to be released on Thursday, Cote d’Ivoire,
Ghana, Algeria, Nigeria and Cape Verde (who shocked Tunisia in Rades)
will be in the Pot A (seeded teams) for the 10-team final elimination
round Draw in Cairo on Monday next week, while Burkina Faso, Cameroon,
Egypt, Senegal and Ethiopia will be in Pot B.
The Super Eagles can only be drawn against any of the teams in Pot B. ----------------- goal.com
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