ABU DHABI // Nigeria’s passion for football will be as apparent off the field as on.
The country has had some success in its first two outings to the World Cup, making it into the second rounds in 1994 and 1998. It also qualified in 2002 and 2010, when it had a poor showing in South Africa.
Nigeria are in a group with Argentina, Iran and Bosnia and Herzegovina.
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“I am very excited for this World Cup in Brazil, knowing that I would be travelling to Brazil for the first time to watch this game and support my team is like a dream come true,” said Ola Oketunde, a 27-year-old student who has lived in the UAE for two years.
“Back in April 1994, Nigeria was ranked fifth in the Fifa world ranking. No other team in Africa has made it to this rank. We have a good squad at the moment, players like Mikel Obi, Victor Moses, Joseph Yobo and more players that play in the English Premier League should be at the World Cup.
Via email, he said: “Our major rival would be Argentina. There is not much they do not know about each other. Their meeting will be the latest instalment in an exciting rivalry between the two sides, led by Lionel Messi and John Obi Mikel, who have faced off three times in major competitions at different age levels: the final of the Fifa U-20 World Cup Netherlands 2005, the gold-medal match at the men’s Olympic football tournament Beijing 2008, and in the group phase at South Africa 2010. On all three occasions Argentina won.”
He said he would not mind watching from the UAE, though.
“Watching from the UAE would be awesome, there are a lot of football fans in the UAE from different countries which would make it interesting.
“Celebrations in Nigeria include football fans carrying the country’s flag roaming the streets. Some even paint their animals green-white-green, which is the colour of our country’s flag. Fireworks will be going off and vuvuzela horns and beach parties.”
“From what I know from my own team – I don’t expect Nigeria to go too far – because from the past we haven’t,” said Donchima George, a 20-year-old student who has lived in Dubai for the past two years.
“This is new thing for us and for most of the players. This is the first time most of them are playing in the World Cup. For the first group stage we have good competitors so its going be a difficult league for them.
“It is very popular there. Football is a love of my country, football is family. That was my first sport. I started kicking the ball when I was just four and joined my school team in primary school.
“There is celebration everywhere, when Nigeria is winning, everyone is happy. We take football as a passion. Nigeria are not a team that you can compare with other major teams like Spain and Brazil and their great players, so you don’t expect them to do very well – so when we see our country winning, we are happy. We are happy the government and people in Nigeria take football so seriously.
“I play for a Nigerian squad here in Dubai. I’ve been playing for three months. It is good to bring Nigerians together.”
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