Football fans in Uyo, the Akwa Ibom State capital, are in an ecstatic mood as the players of the country's national team, the Super Eagles are assemblying in the city ahead of their all-important World Cup qualifier against the Crocodiles of Lesotho this weekend.
It has been a while since Uyo hosted the Eagles, hence the frenzy being generated since camp opened on Sunday.
Reports say fans have been thronging the hotel camp of the team in the hope they can catch a glimpse of their favourite stars as they arrive one after the other.
At the time of filing this report, at least 15 of the expected 23 players had hit camp, further giving impetus to to the optimism that that they are well primed for the job at hand.
Super Eagles coach, Jose Peseiro is reported to have also arrived to oversee preparations for the game that is expected to herald their journey to the World Cup set be co-hosted by the USA, Mexico and Canada.
It was not long ago that the Eagles qualified for next year's African Cup of Nations in Cote D'Ivoire with a game to spare. It is being hoped they would be fired by that knowledge to also seek to pocket another World Cup ticket in a group that also has Mozambique, Republic of Benin, South Africa, and Rwanda.
Manager, Peseiro will be spoiled for choice trying to pick from an array of stars who all ply their trades in in different foreign leagues.
Except for a few absentees, the team is loaded to the hilt with quality personnel capable of beating the visiting Crocodiles.
A good win has the tendency to of taking the pressure off the team and firmly laying the foundation for other games to come.
The Eagles can cement an early qualification for their 7th World Cup appearance since they debuted at USA'94 if they resist the temptation to be complacent.
They know the risk and pressure of leaving their qualification in the hands of fate, hence the need to to shun complacency and approach every game with the seriousness and intensity necessary to win games in emphatic styles.
More than anything else, the Eagles would want to make up for missing the last World Cup ever to be held in winter -- the Qatar 2022 FIFA World Cup which Argentina won.
The team will be jetting to Maputo early next week to keep a date with Mozambique, their next opponent on the road to the World Cup.
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