Gbenga Elegbeleye, the Director-General of the National Sports Commission (NSC), on Sunday in Abuja said Nigeria must go beyond the quarter-finals of the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.
Elegbeleye told newsmen, while reacting to Friday’s final draw which pitched Nigeria with Argentina, Iran and Bosnia-Herzegovina, that Nigeria could better the African record at the mundial in Brazil.
”Nigeria has all it takes to surpass the African record at the mundial. We should be able to face the rest of the world adequately.
”My projection is along that line, that we should be able to do better than what Ghana did at South Africa 2010,” he said.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Cameroon (1990 in Italy), Senegal (2002 in South Korea and Japan) and Ghana have reached the World Cup’s quarter-finals.
These have been Africa’s best at the mundial since its first appearance in 1934 through Egypt, and other appearances by Nigeria, Tunisia, Morocco, Algeria, South Africa and Cote d’Ivoire.
Elegbeleye said Nigeria, given its pedigree in world football, could not be in Brazil just to make up the number.
”We have gone beyond being at the World Cup finals just to make up the number. We should be able to do better than other African teams.
“In fact, we should be able to produce Africa’s best performance of 2014 in Brazil. We must go beyond the quarter-finals,” he said.
The NSC director-general said the Super Eagles should win their first two matches in Group F at Brazil 2014 and then go on to get at least a draw against Argentina.
He said this was possible as the team was sufficiemtly talented to achieve that, and also had the necessary support for it.
”We are prepared for it, and we can do it. I am positive about that,” Elegbeleye said.
He assured that the NSC was ready to assist the Nigeria Football Association (NFA) in securing the needed funds to achieve glory at Brazil 2014.
”Funds will not be a problem, because we at the NSC are ready to assist the NFA in getting all that will be needed for success,” the NSC director-general said
