Nicholas Ukadike, has commended the Golden Eaglets on their performance in the on-going FIFA U-17 World Cup, saying they could only have done so because of love for the country giving all problems that beset the team in the lead up to the competition.

Despite doubts being expressed about the Eagle’s ability to pick a ticket in the on-going 2010 FIFA World Cup qualifiers, football enthusiast and former technical committee chairman of the Nigeria Football Association, Brigadier-General Gregory Adebiyi (rtd), has firm belief that the team will qualify when the last round of matches hold next weekend.

Ghana and Chelsea’s defender, Michael Essien has expressed his concern over precarious situation Nigeria finds herself on the road to picking the ticket for the 2010 World Cup stressing that it would be a shame if the country did not make it to South Africa.

It began in 1986 when the Super Eagles failed to pick a ticket to the World Cup Finals in Germany. Then, many thought it was an aberration, nay, a mistake that will soon be corrected. However, like a bad dream, it refused to go. Last year in Ghana, the Eagles had their worst outing in decades, crashing out in the second round of the Nations Cup, with only one win in four matches.

As Heartland step out today to make history for themselves and country in far away Lubumbashi, Congo Democratic Republic in the second leg final match of the 2009 Orange CAF Champions League against host, TP Mazembe, coach Kelechi Emeteole, believes his team would turn the table in their favour.