THERE is a feeling here in Calabar that everything is turning around for the good for Nigeria's senior national, the Super Eagles. The team lost its last two games, friendly internationals against Egypt and Peru, but the manner the players, made up of home-based stars, went about their jobs in the two games suggested that given time the Super Eagles will rise again.Since The Guardian got to Calabar yesterday, the talk in all parts of the town has been on the good job Stephen Keshi has done on the Super Eagles.The people here believe that the team has started getting the semblance of the all-conquering Nigerian side of the 1990s.In fact, such is the impression of the good things happening in the Eagles' camp that fans from such distant cities as Aba, Enugu, Warri, Port Harcourt and Owerri, among others, have been converging in the Canaan City to be part of the new beginning for the team.Apart from Cross River State Governor, Liyel Imoke, who was said to have cancelled his earlier scheduled trip to the USA to be with the team, other government officials, led by the Sports Commissioner, Patrick Ugbe, have been doing everything possible to ensure that the players are comfortable in the quest to ensure total defeat of Namibia today.The Eagles had their final work out at the U.J. Esuene Stadium yesterday morning, after which the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) President, Aminu Maigari, who led other NFF officials to the stadium, charged them not to disappoint their fans, who have come from all over the country to be part of the game.Maigari, who praised the level of discipline and concentration in the camp, believes that the only way to repay Cross River State for its support is by ensuring a clear victory, 'at least by seven goals to nothing' in the game.'The Cross River State Governor, Senator Liyel Imoke, had to cancel a trip to the United States to personally come to the stadium, to lead citizens of the state to cheer you to victory. That is why you must win ,' Maigari told the players.Injured Yobo said he came to lend support to the team because 'a good outing today will help us through the other games of the group.'According to him, all the players not in this group are praying for a good result as they get ready for the next set of qualifiers, when hopefully he would be fully fit.One of the players expected to feature in the game is Enugu Rangers' Ejike Uzoenyi, who believes the home-based players would not disappoint Nigerians.'We have played against Egypt and Peru away from home and now we are meeting Namibia at home. So, I want Nigerians to be confident that we shall win the game. All we ask for is total support even when the game seems to be going against expectations because whatever the Namibians do, we will beat them silly,' he said.
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