National Chairman of Nigeria Football Supporters Club (NFSC), Prince Vincent Okumagba, has thumbed up the resilient spirit with which the Under-23 Eagles confronted the boastful threat of their Congolese counterparts.

He made the assertion in an exclusive telephone discussion while reacting on last Saturday’s match in Port Harcourt, adding that the way and manner the Samson Siasia-tutored lads took the game to the door steps of the visitors showed their determination and quest to pick the sole ticket from the group.

“I must tell you that the football artistry displayed by our boys gave great glimmer of hope that the team is total. There was no dull moment from the first blast of the referee’s whistle till the last minutes of the duel. The team was gritty to turn the invaders back in time but the arrears of near misses denied the side harvest of goals,” he said.

Okumagba, who led the strong team of NFSC members from the South East, South West and South South to present a solid supporter front to the Nigerians insists that with a little fine tuning by the technical crew, the squad will hold their own in the return leg encounter in Congo. He believes that there is no how the kind of team he watched live in Amasiemeka Stadium in Port Harcourt will be subbed there.

“This team will be stronger and better before the second leg. The boys are hungry to be in Rio, Brazil for the 2016 Olympics. I must also point out that the kind of tempo with which they started and finished the game honesty marked them out as a promising side ready to go places. Yes, there are some grey areas that need attention before the return leg; however, the NFF has to up its motivation packages that would sustain the already high spirit in the squad,” he pleads.

The NFSC boss also called on the players not to relent of their oars as the battle is not over yet. The kind of team spirit that guided them in the first leg must be reinforced so as adequately suppress whatever antics their opponents would mount in the second leg. He also observed that the level of team cohesion helped to checkmate the overzealous Congolese that got more than what they bargained for.

“I must not conclude this without commending the effort and support of the executive Governor of Rivers State, Chief Wike for the hitch free hosting of the international game. His government’s motivation for the team and his presence set the tone for the qualifier. The peaceful atmosphere that prevailed was impressive hence the vigour with which the U-23 Eagles prosecuted the match that ended 2-1 in our favour,” he stressed.

•Photo shows Okumagba.

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