Super Eagles' 4-1 defeat Wednesday of hard-fighting Malian team in the semi-finals of the ongoing 2013 AFCON in South Africa has sparked wild jubilation across the commercial city of Lagos.
Shortly after the final whistle, many Nigerian fans poured onto the streets congratulating one another and on the major highways, motorists were blaring their horns to show their happiness.
“The team is fantastic, truly they are Super Eagles. They played very well, they have actually demonstrated that their victory against Cote d’Ivoire was not a fluke. If they maintain their present form in the finals, I am sure that the cup will return to Nigeria,' Barnabas Orji told PANA shortly after the match.
Nigeria will meet the winner of the second semi-finals match between Ghana and Burkina Faso in the finals on Sunday in Johannesburg .
At the beginning of the competition on 19 January, many Nigerians did not give the team any chance of reaching the finals.
However, the victory over highly-rated Cote d’Ivoire rekindled their hope.
“I think the boys drew a lot of inspiration from their victory against Ivory Coast. They were
so confident, matured, highly technical and purposeful. They won convincingly, I think we are
on our way to lifting the cup,' another soccer fan, Kassim Salako, said.
The fans also commended the technical team led, by Coach Stephen Keshi, for building a formidable team.
Pana 06/02/2013