Supporters Club begins nationwide mobilisation for Eagles against Cameroon

• Declare ‘Operation tame the Lions’

The Nigerian Football Supports Club yesterday began a campaign that will see members from all over the country rallying support for the Super Eagles in their quest to qualify for the Russia 2018 World Cup.

Nigeria will meet Cameroun in back-to-back matches, which could cement the Super Eagles’ passage to Russia and to avoid any mishap on the way, the supporters want to engage every Nigerian in the quest for success against the Indomitable Lions.

Tagged, ‘Operation tame the Lions,’ the Supporters Club said the mobilization of fans will start tomorrow in Ibadan and spread to all the states’ capitals until a sizable number of Nigerians sign in for the battle against Cameroun.

Speaking on the campaign yesterday, the club’s President General, Rauf Ladipo said, “to ensure that Cameroun is beaten in Uyo and Yaoundé, the Supporters Club has mapped out strategies that will help the Super Eagles to tame the Lions.

“From today, members of the club will start fasting and prayers because we need prayers and luck to beat our foes.“We have missed two Nations Cup competitions back-to-back and we cannot afford to miss any big competition again.”

He said concerted support from every Nigerian will boost the players’ morale for the battle ahead, adding, “We have a Camerounian arm of our club led b y Alhaji Owoade, who has also started mobilizing Nigerians in Cameroun for the big game.

“We will fast for three days every day beginning 7.00 a.m. till 1.00 p.m., but the last three days before the game we will fast all through to ensure that we fortify the team spiritually.”

The Supporters Club commended the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) for employing a foreign goalkeepers’ trainer to work with the Super Eagles, but they urged the federation to ensure that as many Nigerian trainers as possible understudy the foreigner to ensure that in the near future the country will have qualified personnel for the job.

Ladipo revealed “we have tasked our members to contribute some money so that we will be in Cameroun in our thousands” adding, “we will buy our tickets if the NFF failed to provide match tickets for our members.”

He also revealed that it would cost as much as N40 million to take the Supporters Club to the matches, saying they have started meeting with their patrons to solicit support for their programme.

The president general revealed that the club will be in Cotonou to support the home-based Eagles quest to qualify for the 2018 CHAN, adding that the team will leave Lagos on Sunday morning for the game billed to start by 4.00 p.m. in Benin Republic’s commercial capital.