President Goodluck Jonathan will give a pep talk to the Super Eagles in their camp ahead of their encounter with Argentina on June 12, Nigeria’s High Commissioner to South Africa, retired Brig.-Gen. Buba Marwa, has said.

Marwa spoke at a welcome dinner he held for the team at his residence in Pretoria, which also coincided with the Super Eagles’ victory over North Korea in an international friendly in Johannesburg.

He said the presidential visit would further demonstrate that 150 million Nigerians were solidly behind the team and would give massive support.

Marwa lauded the team for their performance against North Korea, saying it was “a pointer of good things to come”.
The Super Eagles defeated their North Korean counterparts 3_1 in the friendly match.

“Now that you have tasted blood, there is no going back,” Marwa said, charging the team to do Africa proud in the World Cup.
“You have now beaten one of the 32 nations taking part in the competition convincingly.”

The Southern Africa correspondent of the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) quotes Marwa as saying that African ambassadors in South Africa had decided to muster support for all African teams “because this cup must remain in Africa.

“There is no team better placed to do it than the Super Eagles, so you have a challenge in front of you.”
The President of the Nigerian Football Federation, Alhaji Sani Lulu, said the team was overjoyed by the reception, which made them feel at home.

“We are now on the path of greater victory,” he said, promising that the Super Eagles would excel in the first World Cup to be hosted on African soil.

Lulu thanked the Nigerian Mission for its support for the team.

Meanwhile, FIFA, the world soccer governing body, and the Organising Committee (OC) of the 2010 World Cup said the Nigeria_North Korea match had no bearing with the operational organisation of the World Cup.

Both organisations came out with a statement after the match which witnessed a traffic gridlock in the Tembisa area of Johannesburg.
The match also left at least 16 people injured in a stampede.

Thousands of soccer fans, who thronged the stadium with tickets, met a stiff wall erected by officers of the South African Police Services (SAPS), who said the stadium was already full when there were still empty seats.

Members of the Nigeria Supporters Club were also caught in the web as they could not have a large presence in the stadium for a long while.

FIFA and the OC said they had been informed by the SAPS about the incidents and wished those affected prompt recovery.
“FIFA and the OC would like to reiterate that this friendly match has no relation whatsoever with the operational organisation of the 2010 FIFA World Cup for which we remain fully confident,” the statement said.

“Contrary to some media reports, FIFA had nothing to do with the ticketing of this game,” the statement added.
The match was Nigeria’s last international friendly ahead of the World Cup which starts on June 11.

The Super Eagles had earlier played a goalless draw with Saudi Arabia in their first friendly.

Nigeria, drawn in the same group with South Korea, Argentina and Greece, will clash with Argentina on June 12 at Ellis Park in Johannesburg in their opening match.