AFCON Victory: Okagbare pats Eagles on the back

Nigeria’s sprint star  Blessing Okagbare is full of praise for the Super Eagles after the Gernot Rohr tutored side clinched a lone goal victory in the Afcon qualifiers against Squirrels of Benin Republic Saturday.

The Commonwealth Gold medalist who apparently was following the  build up to the game had earlier predicted a 3-1 victory for his countrymen just before the match kicked off and followed her prediction which a question “Who agrees with me?.

Though the match failed to produce the four goals she had envisaged the All Africa Games Gold Medalists nonetheless gave the boys a pat on the back for a job well done.” We tried. Good job, Super Eagles. Congratulations Nigeria” She dished out shortly after the match.

Paul Onuachu’s 93rd minute goal made all the difference in a match that was headed for a goalless draw. Group members Lesotho and Sierra Leone had earlier settled for a goalless draw thus handing Nigeria the qualification ticket even before the Benin tie kicked off.

Eagles’ next match will be against Lesotho at the Teslim Balogun Stadium in Lagos on Tuesday.

Some say the team will merely use the match to entertain soccer loving Lagos fans who have not had the luxury of watching the Eagles play at the Centre of Excellence for a long time.

Nigeria has clinched the Nations Cup three times 1980, 1994 and 2013. The desire to clinch the title for the 4th time hit the rocks in Egypt where the Eagles finished third with Algeria emerging Champions after defeating Senegal by a lone goal.

The third place match equally ended in a lone goal with the Eagles pushing Tunisia to the fourth position thanks to  Odion Ighalo’s 3rd minute strike.