AFCON 23: How not to make Super Eagles fly without wings, Supporters Club President Okumagba’s accounts

*Worries Nigerian Supporters Club dysfunctional, dispirited

By ABIRHIRE THOMAS…reporting from Abidjan

When the Super Eagles tackle hosts Cote d’Ivoire Thursday at the Ebimpe Olympic Stadium, Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire capital, there was a probability the three-time African Cup of Nations champions would be playing without their supporters.

This is because the different shades of Nigerian supporters club are dysfunctional and dispirited.

So far it is only a handful of Super Eagles supporters that are in Cote d’Ivoire and even at that they seem not to have found their voices and also have access to the stadium to make some noise for the Super Eagles.

During the Super Eagles opening match against Equitorial Guinea, only a handful of the Super Eagles Supporters Club led by Vincent Okumagba, their president, were on hand to cheer the team and they had to pay their way into the stadium in the midst of harsh economic realities.

“At this point the various groups are not united to give the Eagles total support. Not much has been seen from the other groups,” said Prince Okumagba

He added that, “Besides, the Super Eagles
Supporters Club that are here, I had to buy match tickets for members, since the Nigeria Football Federation couldn’t provide us tickets.

“Against Cote d’Ivoire, I’m positive that more members and other groups will arrive so that we can give the Super Eagles total support. On my part I will embark on a huge mobilisation of Nigerians so that we can have great numbers at the stadium

“The NFF president has also promised to do more to mobilise members. We need to do all that we can to prop up the Super Eagles to victory.

“It is very possible they can get a good result. I believe the team can show class against the Cote d’Ivoire Elephants, though it is a tall dream because of the home crowd,” he said.

In their opening match against Guinea Bissau, the Elephants were cheered on by a huge crowd occupying almost all the seats of the 60,000 capacity stadium.

Against a big team like Nigeria it is even going to be more boisterous and Nigerian supporters need to show their presence, otherwise the Super Eagles would be flying without wings.