The Super Eagles arrived South Africa on Wednesday morning to begin quest for honours in its maiden appearance at the African Nations Championship (CHAN) 2014, specially designed for players who ply their trade across leagues in Africa.
The team led by Assistant Coach, Dan ‘the Bull’ Amokachi, who is holding the forte for Stephen Keshi, that stayed back in Nigeria for this weekend’s Glo-CAF Awards before joining the team, left the Murtala Mohammed Airport in Lagos on Tuesday night at about 10:30pm. After five and half hours flight with a South Africa Airways plane, the team arrived Johannesburg at 4:30Nigerian time, which is 5:30 in South Africa.
The team was received by a team of Nigerian Embassy officials led by Ambassador Sunday S Yusuf, who expressed delight at the safe arrival and ensured that the team had a smooth passage through immigration procedure. The envoy also charged the team to ensure that they win the trophy at the first try. “Nigerians are now used to winning, especially here in South Africa and I’m sure you will not let the nation down”, he said. Amokachi assured that the team will do its best at the tourney, even as Keshi is being expected on time before the Eagles opening game against Mali.
After a little wait at the OR Thambo International Airport, the team connected another SAA flight to Cape Town where it will play its preliminary matches. The flight to Cape Town lasted 1:40minutes. On arrival the team was received by about 30 cheering and drumming Nigerians under the aegis ‘Nigerian Union in Western Cape’. The group was led by Kalu Obi.
From there the team whose Team Administrator, Dayo Enebi Achor, was already on ground was taken effortlessly to its abode at Garden Court De Waal, a quiet suburb of the city. The team has since settled down and will have its first training session on Thursday night at 8:30pm local time, which is 7:30 Nigerian time.
