….says players have Nigeria at heart
Abolaji Adebayo, Pretoria
In a passionate appeal for support and understanding, Nigeria’s Acting High Commissioner to South Africa, Alexander Temitope Ajayi, has urged Nigerians not to “crucify” the Super Eagles after the team’s 1–1 draw against South Africa in a crucial World Cup qualifier match played in Bloemfontein on Tuesday.
The envoy made these remarks during a meeting held with the Fellows of the MTN Media Innovation Programme Cohort 4 in Pretoria on Thursday, where he provided a detailed defense of the players’ performance.
Ajayi emphasised that the athletes had given their absolute best under exceptionally difficult and challenging circumstances, which were largely beyond their control.
He specifically pointed to two major external factors that significantly impacted the game: the state of the pitch and the hostile atmosphere.
According to his account, the playing field was deliberately wetted just ten minutes before the match commenced, creating unfavorable and slippery conditions that disrupted the Eagles’ rhythm.
Furthermore, from the very blast of the referee’s whistle, the South African fans engaged in intense and relentless vocal intimidation, which served as a powerful psychological weapon against the visiting Nigerian team.
While Ajayi staunchly defended the players’ effort and commitment, which he stated could not be faulted, he did not extend the same leniency to the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF).
The Acting High Commissioner was openly critical of the federation, describing its preparation for the high-stakes encounter as both slow and profoundly inadequate.
He argued that while the team’s spirit was willing, the organizational support was lacking, ultimately leading to a situation where “the odds worked against us.”
Despite this criticism of the governing body, Ajayi directed words of encouragement directly to the players themselves, urging them not to allow their spirits to be dampened by this single result. He expressed his unwavering confidence in their inherent ability and resilience to learn from this experience and bounce back significantly stronger in their upcoming matches.
Reaffirming his deep belief in the squad’s potential, the Acting High Commissioner insisted that with more thorough planning, better logistics, and improved support from the federation, the Super Eagles possess all the necessary talent and determination to overcome the challenges that lie ahead in their qualification campaign.
