Fans Applaud Sanwo-Olu For Igniting Teslim Stadium With AFCON Tie, Want More Eagles Matches In Lagos

Football fans in Lagos will always be the fanatical supporters of Nigeria’s senior men team, the Super Eagles any day any time. The last 20 years, however, has seen a lull in national and international engagements of their darling team due to the dilapidated conditions of the sportscity, the National Stadium in Surulere.

It was a surprise to many of these fans when it was announced that the last Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifying match against the Crocodiles of Lesotho will be played in Lagos courtesy of the magnanimity of the sports loving Governor of the state, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, who gave all necessary support to the Lagos State Sports Commission and the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) to host the international match.

Although, the Teslim Balogun Stadium was not at its full capacity due to restriction placed on fans by the Confederation of Africa Football (CAF) because of the need to curtail the spread of novel Coronavirus disease. Few fans were allowed to watch the match.

Three goals from Victor Osimhen, Oghenekaro Etebo and Paul Onuachu saw the Super Eagles defeating the Crocodiles 3-0 to secure three maximum points from the game.

“I cannot remember when Eagles played in Lagos and this match against Lesotho gave me the opportunity to see the boys in action. Thank you Mr. Governor,” said Salaudeen Wasiu who said he came all the way from Ikorodu to be part of history to see Eagles’ return to the city of Lagos.

The joy of seeing the Eagles in action in Lagos took away the stress and the pain occasioned by the hectic life of Lagos on Tuesday, 30 March, 2021 as described by Samson Oriola, who visited Surulere from Ojo area of Lagos for the match.

He told P.M. EXPRESS that sports and more importantly football is a stress reliever for him, a situation that always make him to stay indoor weekends to watch international leagues on cable television.

“If the NFF wanted us to pay heavily for this Eagles match, I am ready. Super Eagles are my good boys. Governor Sanwo-Olu should be applauded for bringing my boys to Lagos and I will love to see them playing regularly so that we can assess them and criticised where and when neccessary for the good of the team,” Oriola said.

Another fan, Ms. Wunmi Oluwaseun said that “with the AFCON ticket in our hands now, the focus will now be on the World Cup qualifiers. I want to appeal to the Lagos State Government to make Lagos and Teslim Balogun Stadium home of the Super Eagles for the qualifying series. It is in Lagos that the Eagles could get the needed support to qualify for Dubai 2022 FIFA World Cup.

“Lagos fans are no nonsense supporters, if a team play well, we drum support to encourage the team, and if they do otherwise we give them the dose they deserve. So Governor Sanwo-Olu and the NFF should bring the Eagles to Lagos for them to seat up during the qualifiers for the World Cup,” Oluwaseun said.

Even the NFF could not hide its appreciation to what Governor Sanwo-Olu did for hosting the match. While appreciating the supports received from various stakeholders during the qualifying series for the AFCON 2021, the NFF said in a statement on Wednesday that: “The Governments of Akwa Ibom, Delta, Edo and Lagos States played the role of good hosts to the Super Eagles before and during the campaign and were very magnanimous to the players and officials. The NFF is very, very grateful to them because without them, the task would have been close to insurmountable.”

P.M. EXPRESS reports that the Africa Cup of Nations finals will take place in Cameroon nex year. Success in the qualifying race sees the three –time champions make their 19th appearance in the biggest football tournament on the African continent.