Eagles Pip TEAP In Tune Up As Ezekwesili, Amadi Confident Of Team

Nigeria’s Super Eagles at the weekend defeated hard-fighting, the Everlasting Arms Parish, TEAP, of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, based in Abuja by a lone goal in continuation of its preparations for the Nations Cup qualifier duel against Liberia in a forthnight.

The match played at the FIFA Goal project site in Abuja was watched by a sizeable crowd including former Minister and current Vice President of the World Bank Dr (Mrs) Oby Ezekwesili, (alias Madam Due Process), her husband and one of the founders of TEAP FC, Pastor Chinedu Ezekwesili, Chairman of the Nigeria Electricity Regulatory Commission and also co-founder TEAP FC, Dr Sam Amadi, Sports Marketer Shehu Dikko, ex-international Okey Isima and a host of other dignitaries.

 The Eagles approached the game with some lethargy at the start, and were quickly awakened by the sporadic raids on their vital area by dreadlocked Sunday David (Mwariwari), Ikechukwu Uzoezie, who skippered his side, Ayo Adetola and Sunday David.

By the time it dawned on the national team, that TEAP Fc meant business it was getting towards the close of the first half, with Ejike Uzoenyi, Sunday Mba, Solomon Jabason and Sanni Sanusi taking time to waste precious chances.

The half ended goalless. At the start of the second stanza, the Eagles seemed to have woken up from the slumber when just after passing the ball, Izu Azuka, Saviour Fidelis and Uzoenyi combined beautifully for left back Juwon Oshaniwa, to slot in from a rebound by goalkeeper Emmanuel Nasamu.

From then on till the end it was a ding dong affair, as chance after chance that fell to the Eagles where wasted till Ref Aniete blasted the home whistle. Speaking after the match, Dr Ezekwesili, said she was impressed by the display of TEAP fc, and asked the Super Eagles to work more on their minds to be able to win trophies and make Nigerians happy again.

 “This is a very solid national team, but they seemed to be blank in their minds and that was why they could not raise their game to score more goals, that is what the coach needs to work on more because the talent is there”, she said.

On his part, Dr Amadi, said he was not surprised by the display of TEAP fc, as the National Amateur division one side was set up to break new grounds in football and refocus the Nigerian youth to more virtous avenues through sports, particularly football.

He praised Coach Stephen Keshi for his confidence in home grown talents, adding that sooner than later the rewards will be obvious to even his greatest critics. TEAP F.C Coach, Donald Malomo-Paris, said he was impressed by the display of the national team, but warned against underrating the oppositions.

 “They underrated my team and that was why they could not get a breakthrough in scoring many goals. Even the goal they scored was soft, otherwise we have a solid national team in the making”.