Sports Minister, Imoke, IGP, Others To Cheer Eagles,. Rwanda To Stay At Linton Hotel

The list of prominent and illustrious Nigerians heading to Calabar to lead the cheer for Super Eagles in Saturday’s 2013 African Cup of Nations qualifying match against Rwanda mounted on Tuesday with
confirmation that the Honourable Minister/Chairman of the National Sports Commission, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi and the Acting Inspector-General of Police, Alhaji M. D. Abubakar will be in town.

Abdullahi, who was Honourable Minister for Youth Development and Supervising Minister/Chairman of NSC before being fully deployed to the National Sports Commission three weeks ago, on Tuesday assured the NFF leadership that he will be in Cannan City to cheer the Eagles.

Nigeria must win Saturday’s game to make progress in the qualification series for the 29th African Cup of Nations finals, which holds in five South African cities between 13th January – 4th February next year.

Having missed on this year’s edition in Gabon and Equatorial Guinea, an anomaly that had not reared its head in 26 years, the Super Eagles are determined to squash the Wasps of Rwanda at the U. J. Esuene
Stadium and have said they need all the support they can get.

“I will certainly be in Calabar to cheer the Super Eagles. It is a very important match and we must do everything possible to mobilize all Nigerians to back our team for victory on Saturday,” said
Abdullahi, who will be Special Guest of Honour.

Also confirmed to be a special guest at the match is the Director General of the National Sports Commission, Chief (Dr) Patrick Ekeji, a former defender and Coach of the Senior National Team, then known as Green Eagles.

Both teams finished it 0-0 in the first leg played at the Stade Regional de Nyamirambo, Kigali on February 29.

Also on Tuesday, the NFF formally invited the Acting Inspector-General of Police, Alhaji Mohammed Abubakar to be a special guest at the big match.

Cross River State Governor, Senator Liyel Imoke, CON will be Chief Host at the game, just as he did when the Eagles piped Namibia 1-0 for three points at the start of the 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil qualifying
series at the same venue on June 3.

Meanwhile, the Nigeria Football Federation has booked the Linton Hotel, Ajao Estate, Lagos for the Rwandans to stay the night in Lagos, when they arrive aboard Rwanda Air on Wednesday evening. The team will be flown to Calabar aboard an Arik Air plane on Thursday morning. In Calabar, the Rwandan delegation will stay at Channel View Hotel.