The U.J Esuene Stadium, Calabar has been described as the fortress of the Super Eagles where any opponent would be put to the sword.
This was the submission of Nigeria Football Federation, NFF board member and chairman of the Technical department, Barr Christopher Green after Nigeria secured the final play-off ticket for Brazil 2014 World Cup at the expense of Ethopia.
Green said that the venue has been a good home for the national team and played a role in the team’s good run for World Cup qualification so far..
The Super Eagles have not lost any match at the venue since the first day of the 2014 World Cup qualifiers.
Another NFF board member and chairman of Enyimba International FC, Chief Felix Anyansi could not agree less with his colleague’s position. Anyansi attributed Eagles good run to the hospitality and support of the Cross River State government led by Senator Liyel Imoke and the fans in Calabar. According to him, the passion and magnanimity of the people have been excellent and the NFF would not be in a hurry to relocate the national team from the venue. Nigeria’s national football team has played majority of its international matches in the Cross River State capital, due to the poor condition of the pitch at the National Stadium.
However, top official of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) disclosed to KickOffNigeria.com that any scenario of returning to the newly refurbished pitch of the National Stadium is very unlikely.
“As far as the federation is concerned at this moment, there is no reason to change the venue,” the official said. “If the NFF decides to bring the team to Abuja and anything goes wrong people will say it is because the venue has changed.
“In any case, it will be the height of ingratitude to the government and people of Cross River State, who took the team in and hosted them at a time when nobody else wanted to.”
The official added that any change in venue will highly depend on, if the players request for such.
The DG told Newswatch Sports in Calabar that the City has been a favourable and lucky ground for the Eagles as it will not be too good to pull the team out of the place on the excuse that they want to return to Abuja.
Newswatch Sports recalls that matches involving the Super Eagles were moved to the U.J Esuene Stadium, Calabar because of the poor state of the pitch in Abuja Stadium. The Stadium has since been renovated after much cry from the public over its neglect.
The last competitive match the Super Eagles played at the Abuja National stadium was the Nations Cup qualifier against Guinea where they were held to a 2 – 2 draw, a result that prevented the Nigeria team from participating at the 2012 Nations Cup in Equatorial Guinea/Gabon.
’Calabar has always been a veritable fishing ground for Nigerian national teams and the Super Eagles will not be an exception.
The Golden Eaglets played their qualifiers here to book their World Cup ticket. Even in athletics this is where Blessing Okagbare began her journey to winning two historic medals for Nigeria at the last IAAF World Championships in Moscow, Russia.
It was here in Calabar she won the 100m (for the fifth consecutive time),200m and long jump titles, a feat unprecedented in the history of track and field in Nigeria.

Brb

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Very true

players should chose